This Silent Kiss
by I Am Sweden
Summary: The Light Warriors left so much behind. But now what they lost is coming to Dissidia, along with a few new enemies to add to the mix. Reunions aren't always so sweet.
1. X Prologue

**This Silent Kiss**

**Chapter 1- X-prologue**

_And it all started when I saw this sphere of You…._

((((()))))

"PAAAAAAARTYYYYYYY~!" Brother and Rikku sang, doing their own little mix of the conga. Paine and I smiled; that was all we _could_ do. Because if there was thing I was certain, it was that Al Bhed sure knew how to bring on a party fest.

But it wouldn't be a real party. Not without… _Him_. We saved Spira again. I… didn't think it would be possible, actually. Being without Tidus was like being without an arm. Even though I only knew him during the extent of my journey as a summoner, he was just as close to me as Rikku or Lulu or Kimahri or anyone else. I loved him. More than a brother, more than a best friend.

_I love him._

Yet saying that over and over in my head will never bring him back. Seeing Shuyin and Lenne together after a thousand years gave me hope- but that was a _thousand _years. If I'm ever to see Tidus again, I don't want to have to be dead to do it. I want him to experience all the new things Spira has now. Take that darn tour set up in Zanarkand, only if it wasn't such a heartbreaker. But I can't. He can't.

Neither of us can ever do these things together again.

Rikku jumped up in front of me, a smile plastered to her always ecstatic face. "Yunie, let's go out and hunt that sphere!"

"…Sphere?" I asked, realizing I had just zoned out of a whole conversation. It's not that I mean to do it, of course, but when you're surrounded by so much randomness and ecstasy it sometimes overwhelms you.

I never hear silence now. Only sound of laughter and cheer, but it's lacking, because his voice isn't consonance with the others'.

But laughter is always better than silence; than the sound of so many tears. I live by that, and I pull through.

After all, it wasn't supposed to be. I'm real; he's a dream. It… wouldn't work out. Somehow, though, it did, didn't it? Like New Yevon, the Youth League, and the Machine Faction. All together again. Yevon and the Al Bhed. No longer enemies.

Wakka and Lulu. Vidina, there to symbolize them both and the life they would have had with their parents had Sin not murdered them.

So I can't complain. No one in the eternal calm can, and that's the best thing ever to happen to Spira! I should be happy, so, so happy, like Rikku and Brother.

I think I'll start being happy now.

I clapped my hands together, a smile widening on my face. "Let's do it!"

Rikku let out a "Yessssss!" and bounced over to where Paine stood, staring out our airship's windows, an uncharacteristic smile on her face. I also grinned. When Paine was happy, you too have to be happy. It was one of the many things I have learned.

Brother, Buddy, and Shinra all assumed their usual stations and prepared to head out to Luca, where the sphere was. I had never gone to Luca for a sphere was, and I had thought that it was impossible to keep something hidden for so long in such a crowded place.

Well, I guess you learn something new everyday.


	2. IX Prologue

**This story isn't going to get into much of a plot until chapter 11 when I'm done with the "what's going on in their lives" prologues. However short and possibly meaningless they are, please read them. It really explains how each character is, and how they'll react when they get to Dissidia in later chapters.**

**Chapter 2- IX-Prologue**

_Promise me one thing. Please come back._

((((()))))

The lyrics of the familiar song I was so used to now seemed foreign in my mouth. It seemed impossible to sing such a thing as this when my joy was gone.

Did I feel alone? In spite of the people I was always surrounded by, yes.

Did I feel betrayed? Zidane never came back for me like he promised, but I will _never_ give up hope on him.

I refuse to believe that yet another thing I love has now gone! And yes, despite every law and implied rule, I _do _love Zidane. I love everything about him- even down his thievery and mud-caked, scuffed boots that had been passed down from one of his "brothers" in Tantalus. I loved the way his eyes always seemed to be looking for something past the sorrow in our world. I loved the way he always flicked his tail, dismissing the horrible things as nothing but another part of the past he was willing to forget.

Everything about him, and now I feel like as though it was a dream.

"Queen?" Steiner asked, poking his head out onto the balcony outside my room.

I straightened, smiling warmly at my old friend. "Yes, Steiner?"

He saluted. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and stifle a laugh- a trait I derived from Zidane. "Your Majesty," he began, his face turning slightly pink from having to be so formal. I guess he too was feeling like our adventures was naught but a dream. "Your Majesty, General Beatrix and I… well… we were, uh, hoping that you'd, um…-"

Smiling, I told him, "You don't have to come to me to ask permission to get married, Steiner. I'm not a dictator, just a queen."

Steiner let out a sigh of relief. "Queen Garnet, you truly are as great as your late father."

"Thank you."

We lingered a bit longer, both having another conversation topic on the tip our tongues, but unable to speak it aloud. Finally I giggled, "So, am I to be a bridesmaid?"

"O-of course!" Steiner stuttered, aghast I'd even suggest being left out. I now openly laughed, that too seeming foreign. Could I not even laugh properly without Zidane? Well, I suppose it was likely.

As for everyone else, things were going well for them. Eiko was now the "Terror of Lindblum", but we all loved her. Freya was helped Fratley regain his memory. So far, things were great. Quina was elected leader of his Qu tribe, bringing "yummies" from far off lands to share with them. Vivi lived with Mikoto and the others in the Black Mage Village, teaching the genomes the simplicities of life, and constantly reminded them that it wasn't "the magic, moving water" but a river. I try not to laugh when I think of their blank expressions, but it's hard not to. But when I try to picture Zidane in my mind, I only think of that time in Terra when he looked like that. It was the only time he had ever given up hope….

Well, Amarant was still just as evasive as ever, only occasionally coming to Alexandria when Lani was in the neighborhood. Although I cannot be sure, I've heard that he was thinking of joining Tantalus. Who would have thought Amarant could have a sweet, poetic side?

Of course we know about Steiner and his success with Beatrix. It was about time he finally asked her to marry him! I wonder how Zidane would react to it. Of course he would be appalled- Zidane had thought that Steiner was more likely to find Big Foot than a girlfriend, let alone a fiancé!

I'll miss him. I always will.

But, as we all have come to learn and accept, _life goes on_.

* * *

**Please review!**

**-WiREP**


	3. VIII Prologue

**I would be no where without Y0u tube XD. I haven't actually played VIII, so I'm going by information from Wiki and some videos. I hope I got Rinoa's personality right.... Anyway, please read and review!**

**Chapter 3- VII Prologue**

_I wanna go there! Where Squall and I promised!_

((((()))))

"Irvine! Stop filming all the girls! You're SUPPOSED to be filming me and Quistis!"

The gunner burst out laughing as Selphie blew up at him. He redirected his attention to Zell, stuffing his face with hotdog after hotdog.

Seifer, of course, would not be coming to this party. I can't say I miss him. After all that we've been through- all of us- I still deny that he was somewhat of a friend. But that's just me. I guess, if Squall were here, that he would say the same thing.

Yes, that anti-fun SeeD…. I wasn't able to find him. I went there. Where we promised to be wherever we needed each other, but…. But I guess that was just too good to be true.

Edea was at the party with Cid. I said hello, and she remembered me. That was good. I always knew she was a good person. After all, having to put up with Squall as a child must have been tough enough, so that has to make her Superwoman or something.

I helped Selphie and Quistis regain control of the video camera, putting on a smile to show them I wasn't totally crushed.

Of course it was lie, but sometimes that's not a bad thing. Right? I mean, why ruin their celebration because I'm depressed? That's not right. There would be a time to cry after all of this. As for now, it was a time to be happy. We defeated Ultimecia! We saved the day! We're heroes, and now we'll be commanding officers in Garden!

All of us are being honored with this party. All of us… but we're missing our _real_ hero. But I guess he's in a better place than this. Not having to put up with the chaos around us must be good, I imagine.

There's only one thing I wonder, though. Does he remember all that happened? From the first day we met, to that dance, and on through the final battle? Does he remember all that we shared and protected? All the good times, and even the some of the bad?

Because that's what life is about…. And if Squall really is gone… then won't he forget what life was about?

Will he forget about me, too?

What scares me the most- _will I ever forget him?_

I don't want to forget how he embraced me, how he cared for me, how he went from always feeling alone and helpless to being my best friend. I don't want to forget the smell of his leather jacket. The glint in his eye when we went to battle. The soft tread he walked, always careful and cautious when we were stomping around. Yes, he always made sure we were safe. Sometimes I think he wasn't even aware of all he did for us, for me. But that's alright, I suppose. As long as he was aware of all we did for him, it didn't matter what we got in return.

Now I'm certain. I'll never forget him. Dead or alive, Squall Leonheart is going to stay in my heart.

He'll stay there, because he has it.


	4. VII Prologue

**Geez, I know Tifa is totally OOC in this chapter, but you've got to think that she believes Cloud is dead. So of course she's not going to be all happy and bright. That's my escuse. Please R&R?**

**Chapter 4- VII Prologue**

_Shilly-shally, dilly-dally._

((((()))))

I finished rinsing the dishes, and turned to the counter where countless bills lay. I picked one up- someone coming soon to reimburse Fenrir- and crumpled it, tossing it behind me somewhere. I hope it landed in the water. Stupid people.

Marlene looked beyond cute as she hopped down the stairs, followed closely behind by Denzel. Today was their first day of school. I had almost forgot.

"Good morning, Tifa!" Marlene grinned, settling herself in a stool in front of the counter.

Smiling myself, I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Good morning to you too, sweetie. Want do you two want for breakfast?"

"Eggs!" "Pancakes!"

I chuckled. "Eggs and pancakes it is, then." I turned away, trying to forget the times we ate that on our journey. Aerith was such a good cook. After she passed away, I had been nominated as the group's cook. Every morning, Cloud would go out and hunt down some kind of fowl and bring me eggs to fry.

Now I just go down the street and buy some.

He also used to set up camp for us. Now I just lay down in my bed upstairs.

It's so much easier now.

But oh, so much more breaking.

I can't ever show the kids weakness, though. What would that say on my part? That I'm just a love-sick bartender, torn apart because stupid Cloud Strife is gone? Nope. Not me.

I'm unmovable as a mountain, just like I've always been.

After all, I didn't even know if he was even an enemy, a SOLDIER working for ShinRa, until the day he joined AVALANCHE. But even then he wasn't what everyone thought he was. Cloud wasn't a superhero. He couldn't even remember Zack Fair.

No doubt he forgot that day in Neibelheim when I gave them a tour of the mountain.

So why should I miss him?

Because I love him.

Yes, I'm that stupid. I love him. Don't ask me why, because I won't be able to tell you. I just… do, I guess. No real reason.

It has to be his outlook on things. He's strong like me. Neither of us is quick to give up on anything, despite how awful things seem. I just can't believe that it was Kadaj who made him disappear.

No… of course I know he didn't just "disappear". It has to be something else. Something… that I don't want to think about. Cloud was my best friend, plain and simple. He made me feel like I was something great and untouchable, and I have to admit that I liked that. But I'm not some kind of porcelain doll. We both fought hard and long against the assailants of the planet, and just because ShinRa goes to him for help doesn't mean we're heroes. I don't want that. Just a simple, plain life for me. And because of that, I guess I look weak.

But, despite all of that, I can't help the tears that fall down my cheeks. I can't help but remember how much I love him, and how much I remember about him.

He will never be just a memory.


	5. VI Prologue

**I haven't ever played VI either! So I'm so sorry if this seems to go against the actual plot of the game. R&R?**

**Chapter 5- VI Prologue**

_The Magicite... Magic is disappearing from this world... _

((((()))))

Kefka is going to pay for this. Making Terra give up the last of her life for us…. It's not fair! She never did anything wrong, never did anything to deserve this! Terra… she's been nothing but generous towards us. All the time, no matter what, Terra had our backs. And now… she's gone, and I just….

"Celes," Edgar started, his face mirroring the same sorrow as mine. "Celes, we must help the others.

I shot him a look, but eventually went with him. Edgar was right, of course. There were others to think about before us. People everywhere had gone through countless terrors at the hands of Kefka, and it was our duty to make sure the people were safe.

…I have to prove my worth. I once helped the empire, thus in turn helping Kefka, and now I'm going to make up for it. I know that Edgar and the others have accepted me as a Returner, but it's not enough. I'll never be a real hero to these people until I can be like Terra.

She was great and loved by everyone….

And she was my best friend. Sort of a sister, I suppose. I know things are hard for everyone- especially Locke. He was the first to ever meet her, and it's easy to see how much he loved her.

But I need to stop thinking about the past now. It's all behind me now, and I've got a new future to think about. Like, what job am I going to get? Heck knows I'm not going back to the empire. Those dogs had better be on their knees begging for mercy next time I run across them.

Nothing can ever change _that _kind of hate.

Nothing… but perhaps Terra.

Terra, who could make us all seem like such fools with only her naiveté. Terra, who had the power to nearly destroy half the world, but wouldn't dare hurt a fly. Terra, who was afraid of the dark but shed so much light on all of us.

And it was because of Kefka that she was gone now.

I clench my fists tight against my sides, but there's nothing I can do. I grit my teeth, but I still look forward, unwilling to let this plague my mind.

And onward I stride, looking out into the beautiful horizon, blurred by my tears. Edgar takes my hand and doesn't let go, even though we've both stopped, both unable to conceal such pain on our faces. Working on rebuilding what has been destroyed can wait for a little while.

I turn and bury my face in his shoulder, feeling his arms slip around me. _This should be Locke and Terra_, I think, gripping his jacket tighter. _This should be a moment of love, not of sorrow._

But there we stand for the longest time, the red sky slowly turning black.

The stars shine not for our grief, but in memory of the world's kindest soul.


	6. V Prologue

**I didn't think I would do very good on this chapter, but I have to admit that this is one of my favorites so far besides Rinoa. The funny thing is, I haven't played VII or V, so it's all a little foreign to me. I don't know if Lenna is as ecstatic as she is in this chapter, but I think her like this makes a perfect match for Bartz. So I apologize if Lenna isn't actually like this in the game. R&R please!**

**Chapter 6- V Prologue**

_For a while nothing would change…_

((((()))))

Kingdom life was boring. I really wanted to be with Faris at the moment, sailing the seven seas without a care. But no, I was stuck being the princess.

I didn't need any big prize for defeating Exdeath, but everyone else was quite demanding. Krile practically lived in a mansion now (Since my father owed her grandfather, she got double the prize money).

But I wanted to know Bartz hadn't come by yet to pick up his prize. I mean, I know the boy's scatterbrained, but to turn down that much gil? Now that's a little too eccentric for him.

And then there were Kelger and Krile, trying to tell me that Bartz was gone. Well, duh he was gone! Off his crazy little chocobo somewhere, obviously lost. I swear, it was like he couldn't even find his way home without one of us to lead him there! He was too adventurous for his own good.

They told me that "Exdeath was a tough foe" (of course, I was _there_ and I _remember_) and "It was hard to get out of such an attack". So… that means Bartz was somewhere… in that tree…?

"Well… I guess you could say that," Kelger said slowly. Krile looked like she was about ready to burst into tears.

I cocked an eyebrow. "And what else about him?"

The two looked at each other a moment before saying, "No one has found him yet."

I hopped down off my throne and walked towards them, smiling. "Then let's go find him!"

Krile caught my sleeve. "Lenna, what Kelger is trying to say…. I mean, I'm sorry, but… he means that Bartz is _gone_. We can't ever find him."

This somehow made my chest hurt. My smile was little forced now. "No, Krile. He's not 'gone', just lost."

"Bartz is dead, my dear."

I froze at my father's voice. I turned slowly. "…What?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "Lenna, no one was able to find Bartz because he is dead."

"No… you're wrong. Bartz isn't… h-he can't…."

They gave me a sympathetic look. I stomped my foot. "He's not dead! I know it! I'm going back to the tree, and I'm bringing Bartz back with me!"

As I rushed out, my father reached out for me. "Don't worry about me, father!" I called. "I'll bring Faris with me!"

"LENNA!"

But I kept running. Bartz was not dead. I would know. I just would.

It was time to bring the Wanderer back home.


	7. IV Prologue

**Chapter 7- IV Prologue**

_Draw your blade!_

((((()))))

Rosa was just where I expected to find her. Outside on the balcony, looking across her kingdom, the one she could not govern alone.

But that was just how fate was.

It is something you cannot fight against, no matter what steps you take and how strong you become. I, of all people, should know this. Your destiny is laid before you the moment you are born. Hurting others, and, sometimes, in hurting yourself, you are nothing but a puppet of fate, unable to change what must happen.

Rosa looked back at me. "Kain," she sighed.

I walked out and leaned over the balcony, looking across the landscape. You could no longer see the moon hanging in the atmosphere, waiting to crash to the surface if given the chance, and for that I was glad. I already had enough mess to clean up and worry of without having to deal with the moon.

My lance seemed heavier than usual on my back, strapped to my rusted, dented armor. It still had blood stains, I was sure, of one too many foolish battles fought before.

I never understood why fate willed me to destroy myself so. Rosa hated me. Even though she hid it well, I knew she would never forgive me for Cecil's disappearance, even if it was not my fault.

I won't argue, though. Hate me all she wants, but it will never bring back that which we have lost.

Fate was my worst enemy, one that I could not fight against. In that sense, perhaps it was more of a master than an enemy. A master I was forced to obey, forced to serve.

There were many things I could blame on having my mind ridden, but would it truly make a difference to this woman? Never. So it is best to simply stay silent.

For some unknown reason, I unlatched my lance and held it out in front of me. It didn't shine like it used to in the morning sun.

"If that drops," Rosa started evenly, "you'll likely impale someone."

"Then that shall be their loss, won't it?" I countered softly.

She gave me a weak glare. With a sigh I put my weapon away. "I should say sorry, but I do not know if the word would suffice for my sins."

Rosa's eyes grew sad. "No… it would not."

"Then allow me to search," I said, straightening with a salute.

She let out a dry laugh. "Why search for that which is forever lost to us?"

I shrugged. "Why does the blind man wish to see? The dumb to speak?"

"Because they have never known how," she replied wistfully.

I nodded. "That is why I must go. Rosa, I swear to you… I will find a way to repent. With or without Cecil, I will no longer let my past plague my mind so. And thus I leave, even if you forbid it."

She didn't move to stop me as I turned to leave. She only looked back to the sun, letting its rays wash over her ashen, weary face. "I should give you my blessing, but to you it would be naught but a curse."

A wicked grin came to my face. "That you are correct, my friend. Farewell, Rosa."

And so I left the only haven I had left to go to.


	8. III Prologue

**I haven't played III in forever... the DS version made me so mad though! Whew, only two more prologues to go before things get good! I need some suggestions about which II character to put in (I was thinking maybe Maria) but I really want to know what you all would prefer. Also, I guess now is the time to thank my wonderful reviewers! 17 whole reviews! That's more than I've ever got! Thank you all so much!**

**Chapter 8- III Prologue**

…_we'll see you soon!_

((((()))))

"Ow, Refia, stop pulling on my arm! That's hurts, you know!"

"Oh, stop being such a wuss, Arc!"

Argus sighed, wondering again how he had been pulled into their latest crazy scheme. Those two weren't even acting half their age. How they managed to save the world, he would never know.

"This is it!" I cried, finally pulling my arm free.

Refia cocked her head at the cavern entrance. "Well, it certainly figures Luneth would fall into a hole. Alright then, let's go see where he's gone off to now!"

I frowned. "Refia, come on. You _know _he would have gotten back out. Let's just go to Canaan and ask for help already!"

"Stop being such a scaredy cat! Nothing's gonna hurt us down here! Besides, what if Luneth found some kind of treasure? He could be hiding it from us."

"But-" I started, unsure.

Refia turned to me with a sour expression. "Arc, are going to come with me or not? I won't hesitate to leave you out here with Argus. You know that."

I pointed to the knight, growing more bored by the second. "But Argus even left Sarah to come with us! You can't make us stay out here!"

"THEN LET'S GO!"

Refia grabbed our wrists and hauled us along, leading the way through the cave. Bats flew out around us, making me flinch back in surprise.

But I still didn't get why Luneth up and disappeared on us. And on the eve of our big party, too! Luneth was always prone to doing weird things at weird times, so I guess this isn't too weird.

Still….

Refia gasped, running into a shaft of light. We looked up and saw an opening in the cave's ceiling. A single, rickety rope hung down from some unknown point. Refia gave the rope a good tug before hopping on it and climbing up.

She ignored my warnings and looked around at the top. "Nothing special!" she called down. "I can still see the village from here, too."

Joining us again, we continued on.

After a few run ins with some minor monsters and a few wrong turns, we finally made it into the deepest part of the cave: where the wind crystal was.

I gasped, staring at its brilliant light.

Then I knew where Luneth had gone.

"R-Refia?" I gulped, wiping my sweaty hands on my pants.

"Yeah, Arc?"

"I think… I think we aren't going to find Luneth anytime soon."


	9. II Prologue

**Ugh, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I sort of have to blame that on school. It's exam time, and I've been studying more than should be healthy. But still, please R&R, and I'll put up the I prologue soon!**

**Chapter 9- II Prologue**

_It was a long struggle…_

((((()))))

The two of us stood stiff and firm during the funeral procession. It was meant for all the rebels, all of the civilians murdered under the Emperor's mad reign. But somehow, despite the tears and cries from parties in the castle courtyard, I couldn't find any tears in my eyes. I was stoic- a little too stoic, actually.

I was never really that big of a crier, but I did have my fair share when the going got too tough to be fighting alone. But I was never really alone. So, really, I guess that meant I was just a wuss.

Princess- soon to be queen, now, I suppose- Hilda stoically read out each name from a list that seemed too long to be true.

Too many names stung into my heart. Josef. Firion. Every other that had partook in our struggle.

Still, no tears formed in my eyes.

Finally too exhausted to continue listening to Hilda's painful lists, I looked through the crowds for Leon. He was here somewhere, but it would be impossible to find him or Guy in the large, weeping crowds.

I turned away from the Princess and pushed through the amassed citizens of Fynn, heading to nowhere.

"…to have more power than is possible in your world."

I paused outside of an alley. As soon as I did, a wave of malevolent energy slammed into me. Nothing had affected me so since… since….

Mateus.

Loading my bow, which, out of pure paranoia, I always kept with me, I turned into the alley, gritting my teeth.

Leon, fitted in his armor of so long ago, turned to me, a startling greed in his eyes so evident that I almost did not see the silver woman standing before him. "Hello, Maria," he called to me, as we had just passed each other in the streets, and were about to start a simple conversation concerning the weather.

"What's going on?" I asked sheepishly, now feeling embarrassment. Oh, Lord, if I just stumbled into a date of his…-

The woman cocked her head, silver strands of hair falling in her face. "You appear to be the one Cosmos shall choose."

I immediately stiffed at the elegant speech flowing from _his_ mouth. How on earth was this man so feminine in appearance!

He and Leon both laughed, both enjoying a joke I had not yet caught onto yet.

"Farewell, Firion's Canary," he purred, turning with a flip of his silver hair. A black and maroon portal appeared before them, and neither hesitated to pass through.

As a portal similar to theirs, but white and pale yellow, formed and the apparition of a blonde woman appeared before me, I thought again how it was Leon who always went astray.

Maybe it was I who was to save him. Not Firion, this time, but the last rebel standing.


	10. I Prologue

**Finally we get to the last prologue! Since the Final Fantasy I characters don't really have much of a personality, I decided that I'd make a nice little reference to 8-Bit Theatre Chaos with Black Mage and Black Belt. Again, please R&R!**

**I Prologue**

_The endless struggle that raged over two thousand years had ended, and peace prevailed once more._

((((()))))

"HYAHHH!"

"Oh, calm down, Black Belt," Black Mage bitterly snapped, looking up from a spell book momentarily.

The monk scowled at our bitter companion, then went back to obliterating a wooden dummy of Garland.

"Yo," Thief greeted, dropping into camp. He dug out a shiny apple from one of his pockets, and took a nice crunch. "So, we headin' to Corneria any time today?"

I shrugged, drawing up my cloak. "Perhaps. If we can Black Mage to look up from that stupid tome, get Black Belt away from 'Garland', and find wherever White Mage went."

Now our thief openly laughed. "Hun, you should have stayed a white mage. I don't think RM's going to pull off white magic anytime soon, and you don't seem like a good fighter with a sword."

"I learned enough from Fighter," I retorted, looking away in disdain. It didn't matter if I had only been a healer without a hope of ever handling a weapon correctly during our journey, it was now that I was going to prove myself. If not for the world that would probably produce more monsters needed to be dispatched of, than in memory of our hero.

…Who was the only one who got credit for our whole adventure.

Yes, whenever I next saw that pig-like warrior, I was going to give him the lecture of a lifetime.

"All of the friends in one location! How convenient!"

We jumped up to attention, drawing our weapons. "You must work for Garland," I seethed, slightly wincing at the malevolent energy this foe radiated. "Who are you?"

The woman smirked, and crossed her arms, sending a wave of energy after us. Thief pulled me away just in time to avoid being hit. "Now," she slowly started, the grin on her face being that of a mad man's, "let's all take a nice vacation into the past, shall we? You'll find that rewriting history is awfully fun."

"Rewriting history?" Thief asked, cocking an eyebrow. I smacked the back of his head, but he only chuckled.

The woman smirked and nodded. "However you want it to be, I shall create."

Before we could respond, hopefully with a definite "no", her eyes went wide, and let out a shrill scream.

A bright light flashed over her, enveloping our whole camp.

When things returned to their original state (the woman now gone) I dared to take a glance back at us. An elegant woman with bright blonde hair and fair skin smiled to all of us. "I'm sorry to impose on you all," she started, "but I am in need of your help."

I drew my sword- the one Fighter once had. "You may take me."

Thief looked at me in surprise, as did Black Belt and Black Mage. "You sure, Whi- er, Red Mage?"

"Of course."

The woman nodded. "Then you will travel to a land called Dissidia with me. I have nineteen warriors so far, one of them being a dear friend of yours."

I gasped. "Fighter? Fighter is with you?"

"He isn't coming back, is he?" Black Mage hopefully piped in.

Ignoring his caustic remarks, I said, "Whatever you need of me, I will be happy to comply!"

"I am Cosmos," she said, smiling, "and you shall now be known as the Mage of Light."

A wave of light magic washed over me, turning my crimson garbs into brighter red cape and tunic, my sword into a slimmer, lighter one free of rust. My blonde hair neatly tied back under my feathered red hat, only my bangs truly visible.

When the transformation was complete, Thief whistled. I gave him a brief glare and turned back to Cosmos. "When shall we leave?"

"Right away."

((((()))))

"Tidus, look out!"

Calling out in surprise, the blitz star rolled out of the way of Garland's giant sword and rushed over to Zidane, locked in a tight battle with Golbez. "Over here, blackie!" he taunted, jumping over top of Cecil's brother.

"Terra, back-up needed!" Tidus called over his shoulder, rushing up to the Onion Knight now, surrounded by Exdeath and Jecht. "Get out of the way, old man!"

Jecht laughed and turned his attention to his son.

Firion's arrow hit home in the Cloud of Darkness's right arm, making the witch curse out and redirect her magic from the Warrior of Light to him.

Cecil blocked the magic, deflecting it to Kefka, who flew after Squall, cackling all the way.

Bartz spun into view on a conjured whirlwind to Garland, slashing at him with a replica of Cloud's huge sword.

The ex-SOLDIER wove through the battlefield, over to where Sephiroth stood, battling the Warrior of Light. "Light!" he called. "There are weird manikins coming in!"

"What?" he exclaimed, turning to see ten new enemies fading into view.

Tidus stopped dead, Zidane ramming into him. "Seymour!" he burst. "What the heck, dude! Won't you stay dead!"

"G-Garland!" Zidane yelped, instinctively diving behind Cecil.

Cloud frowned as Kadaj smirked, in line with the other villians.

Beside the remnant stood a warrior named Gilgamesh, who brought a weary look to Terra's face.

Enuo, a warlock, stood next to Zemus, another powerful magician.

Xande and Leon stood apart from the villians, they both deciding not to get caught up in any form of alliance with the others.

Finally, a pirate, named Bikke, laughed out at the dumbfounded Light Warriors.

Groaning, the Warrior of Light moaned, "Not _that _beastly freak."

"That's not polite."

The warrior turned in surprise. A crimson-clad woman stepped past him and drew her sword. "My, my, Fighter. All fancied-up, eh?"

"White Mage?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm the Mage of Light, now," she corrected, flashing him a smile. "And we're here now, so you little boys can go to a corner and cry."

"HEY!" the Light Warriors chimed.

Charging at the new line of foes, the Mage of Light laughed and cried, "Time for a new change in Dissidia!"


	11. Yume dream

** I am soooooo sorry for not updating! I've had problems with my internet (and an overall apathy towards fanfiction writing), but now I hope I can start getting more time to update all of my stories. But expect a lot of oneshots. I just can't think of anything but little tidbits of stories... Can anyone say writer's block...? Anyway, thanks to everyone who's reviewed thus far! Please R&R!**

**PS- the opening quote is from Kuja. I'm such a fangirl...**

**Chapter 11- Yume**

_I find this rain quite pleasant. It feels as though raindrops are blessing this victory…_

((((()))))

All at once, the barren area split into open battle. Broken apart from any reunions, the Light Warriors quickly paired up with whoever was closer to take on the new enemies swarming in.

"Darn," Yuna grunted, dodging magic blasts from Xande, "I should have asked Cosmos to leave me a few Aeons!" She flipped over Kain, tight in battle with Gilgamesh, and fired her guns at the surrounding assailants.

The gunner suddenly froze at all too familiar roar.

"Bahamut," Garnet called out, "go full out, but try not to kill anyone!"

"Bahamut?" Yuna asked herself, looking at, indeed, the Aeon she used to summon on her journey. The breath knocked out of her as Tifa shoved her out of the way of a sword slash from Leon.

Rinoa, not far behind the martial artist, cast a shielding magic over the two. She quickly turned to Celes and shouted, "Um, you, the blonde woman!"

Celes turned slightly, still keeping a wary eye on Garland, the old man who seemed to have telekinesis powers. "Yes?"

"That weird wizard guy is right behind you. I need to distract him as I prepare a spell, okay?" Celes swirled around to see Zemus, throwing out fire balls by the dozen. _And I get all of the fun ones, eh? _Celes gripped her sword tighter and charged the mage, taking his attention away from Lenna, who hastily thanked the soldier and rushed off to help Arc, fighting against Seymour.

Skidding to a halt behind Bartz, Lenna exclaimed, "Bartz! So _this _is where you've been all along!"

Bartz turned away from Jecht, spinning on his heel towards the princess. "Oh, hi, Lenna! How've you been?"

At the same time, both unfortunately unnoticed by the two, Zidane and Arc called out, "BACK-UP!"

"Oh, I've been great, actually!" Lenna ecstatically continued, slightly bouncing from excitement. "Krile and Kelger and Faris come to visit all the time, and-"

"BARTZ KLAUSER! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!"

"-that stupid tree was finally burned down! TAKE THAT," Lenna shouted to Exdeath.

Bartz nodded, equally ecstatic. "About time! You know, I've always wondered why we never burned it the first place. That would have so much more-"

"OWW, MY EYE! _BARTZ KLAUSER, YOU NASTY SON OF A-!_"

The wanderer finally turned to scowl at Zidane. "Hold on a minute, I'm talking to Lenna. So, like I was saying…."

((((()))))

"You never had to hit me that hard, Zidane," Bartz muttered upon waking up in a hastily made campsite.

The thief glared back at him, immediately wincing from the black eye he had. Garnet turned his chin back to her. "Why is it that I can't ever see you without some sort of injury?"

They all groaned as he smoothly replied, "How else am I supposed to get close to a white mage?"

Garnet stifled her giggle and went over to Cloud, sporting not only one black eye but two, both courtesy of Tifa upon seeing him. "…always like this," the blonde seethed, sitting next to the fire Arc had made. The boy had fared well enough during the battle, but did have some hard feelings against Lenna now. As he later quoted: "Stupid girl! Enuo almost caught my cape on fire!"

Yuna grinned and laid her head on Tidus's shoulder, the two also sitting by the fire. "This feels awfully familiar…," the jock started, kissing her hair.

"Besaid. When you were the 'amnesia' stricken heretic."

"Guilty as charged," he laughed.

Away from the sappy scene, Squall finally escaped the crowded camp and embraced Rinoa, the latter going on and on of how much she had missed him.

It didn't take but two minutes for Zidane and Bartz to interrupt this moment.

"Ooh, look guys!" Zidane crowed.

Snickering, Bartz shouted, "Squallie's kissin' Rinoa!"

The two then burst into song: "Squall and Rinoa, out in Dissidia, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Squall gave Rinoa an apologetic smile. "Excuse me for a minute, Rinoa."

She nodded, fully understanding.

Gunblade drawn and eyes fiery, Squall chased after the two, shouting out things that made Terra and Maria cover Arc and Luneth's ears.

"Please, Squall," Firion sighed, coming to sit with his half-sister, "let's not ruin the day with two bloody pulps, alright?"

"What!" Maria burst, spitting out the hot cocoa she had just took a drink of. "H-he's really not going to hurt those two, is he?"

She poked his arm after having silence as her only reply. "He _isn't_, right, Firion?"

Rinoa giggled and rolled her eyes. "Naw, Squall isn't _that_-"

Two very girlish screams interrupted the sorceress. Slowly furrowing her eyebrows, Rinoa corrected, "_Perhaps_ Squall isn't that bad. Today it seems he's in a bad mood. We'll be lucky if we can find any part of them that isn't completely decimated."

Lenna's jaw dropped. But, instead of rushing off to save Bartz, she rounded on Cecil. "Aren't you going to stop that leather-crazy maniac!"

"M-me?" Cecil stuttered, wide-eyed at being drawn into the conversation on such quick notice.

Kain rolled his eyes. "I'll be back," he promised over his shoulder, jumping away.

Sure enough, soon after Kain walked back, dragging along Bartz and Zidane by the back of their shirts. "This belongs to you," he said, dropping Bartz at Lenna's feet, "and this one is _yours_."

With a sigh, Kain then leaned back against a cliffside. "This is such an interesting bunch you've found, Cecil."

The Lunarian wryly grinned. "You just have to get to know them."

"And learn to deal with their _pig-headedness_! Honestly, Cloud, couldn't you have gotten Cosmos to send even a darned _postcard_ telling m- er, _us_ where you were?" Tifa butted in, looking pointedly at Cloud.

As soon as Cloud murmured, "I see you haven't had your daily hug," the camp exploded into laughter.

((((()))))

Kuja's eye twitched as they ranted on and on.

"_This _is your headquarters?" Garland disdainfully scoffed at the broken castle. "And oh ho, what is this? A _velvet throne?_"

Seymour frowned, thankfully keeping his thoughts to himself.

"A rat hole for sure," Edea wholly agreed.

"And just WHO asked you freaks!"

The newest warriors, Jecht, and Kuja turned in mute silence at Kefka. The clown hovered about five feet from the floor, legs crossed Indian-style, floating upside-down. Righting himself, he continued. "This is actually a pretty nice place, if I do say so myself. Really, we could be like those little brats and have a camping trip everyday!"

Leon narrowed his eyes at the clown. "That 'little brat' is my sister."

Kefka mockingly burst into tears. "Oh no, your sister! How tragic! The horror! _The awful atrocity-_"

"Just shut up, Kefka," the Cloud of Darkness sighed, hand on her forehead to ward off a growing headache. "Most of us would like to keep our sanity, as well as our dignity. Even though it appears that _some _of us are lacking those two very assets."

He frowned at her but eventually drifted into silence.

Garland finally set aside his giant sword and laced his fingers. "Now then, on to business. What shall we do to the other side this week?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Bikke deadpanned. "You mean to say that you don't even have a master plan to banish light forever and completely obliterate the enemy?"

Their armored leader cocked an eyebrow. "You said you were… Bikke, correct?"

"…Yar."

Finally, after a slow nod, Garland turned to Edea. "Ultimecia has told me of your illusionary powers. What exactly are you able to perform?"

Edea dipped her head and flashed dark red for the briefest moment before transforming into Garland himself. "Is this well enough?" she asked in his gruff voice.

"…Interesting. And you, Xande, was it?" Garland continued to the dark-skinned mage. "What are your powers?"

"I have power over the four crystals."

Garland took the time to think something up.

The others followed suit.

Surprisingly, it was Kuja who spoke. "Isn't this obvious? We have two transforming witches, one of which who has power over time and space like this old geezer, as well as a young man who could easily woo his sister into falling into a trap."

The Emperor's eyebrows shot up. "I see where you're going with this. That is actually a… half-decent plan."

The genome flipped his hair and airily replied, "I destroyed half of the world by myself. I am more than just an actor, I'll have you know."

Jecht had many things to say to that comment, but refrained from doing so. But dropping a "you're gay" bomb in the middle of a meeting would _not_ go over well with the boss. Instead he gravely mentioned, "But there's ten more of the brats. If we could barely handle the first bunch, what's going to make much of a difference this time?"

Kuja laughed. "This time, we know exactly how to cripple them."

((((()))))

When it came down to the matter of cooking, it was unanimous choice of Terra and Tifa, both who the group was certain couldn't catch something on fire as easily as the others. Watch duty was given to Kain, since he had virtually done the job all afternoon.

The others were left only to sleep or plan a retaliation.

Garnet sighed after having listened to Rinoa's various plans involving a massive takeover of enemy forces using strong armies and complete and unrelenting destructive attacks. It took many corrections from Squall before she ultimately understood that they were _alone_. The princess silently hooked her arm through Zidane's and said, "I don't like all of the magic they have on their side. We have too little of a defense against them with only five us knowing black magic."

"I know," Zidane sighed. "It'd be easier with Vivi."

"And Ingus, too. He was a red mage like you," Arc said to the Mage of Light.

She cocked her head thoughtfully for a moment, thinking back to Black Mage (what a horrible addition that rotten being would be) and Red Mage- now having her former occupation as White Mage. Even Thief would have been a good member of their team with his experience on all things magical, considering how he had _stolen _most of it.

Mage turned to Bartz. "You're a mimic, correct?"

At his confused nod, she continued. "What would it take to copy all of our powers and use them against the enemy?"

"Uh… _a lot of time and pain_?" he scoffed. "Geez, I can only copy one attack and weapon at a time. I'm not like Ultimecia."

The Mage of Light's eyebrows rose. "Ultimecia can mimic actions as well?"

"Technically," the Onion Knight started, looking away from the drowsy fire, "she can transform into other people. She pulled a trick like that once on Zidane, looking like Cosmos and telling him to go into enemy territory to save Bartz."

The thief frowned. "Don't remind me," he dryly said.

"You've been in with the enemy? What other powers do they have?"

Zidane went into a deep thought. "Garland has a sword bigger than Cloud's mammoth, the Emperor likes to set up traps with magic, the Cloud of Darkness basically uses black magic and her two snake things, Golbez has the power over freaking darkness, Exdeath uses 'the void', Kefka has magic and the creepiest face ever, Sephiroth has a katana that I'm sure can slice through all twenty of us easily in one swipe, Ultimecia has power over time and can transform into different things, Kuja has a lot of magic and can fly, and Jecht is super fast with a shovel-sword thing. The other Garland, I know, has power over time and kinesis. I don't really know too much about the others."

They were all silent for a while. Celes quietly drew her sword and started to polish it, having nothing else to do. All of the teary reunions were over; and the real battle had just begun.


	12. Ame rain

**This chapter... Oh man, this chapter...**

**You all are going to kill me. (Except Spark the Clairvoyant! Thank you for being on my side.) But, please, make my death a quick one?**

**Please R&R!**

**Chapter 12- Ame**

_Even if I cling to my memories, I can't return to that time._

((((()))))

"So that… was a manikin…?" Celes huffed, hands on her knees.

Cloud nodded, swinging his sword on his back. "Nasty things. Look just like you, except for the discoloration."

The Warrior of Light and the Mage of Light had split the warriors into four groups the night before, taking care to evenly distribute their abilities. No one really liked their choices for groups, but after a death glare from their leader, not one spoke a complaint.

Celes, Cloud, Kain, Firion, and Squall were now out exploring a new world. It apparently came from Squall's world- a large stone building surrounded by gardens. He called it Balamb, where the SeeDs trained under the watchful eyes of Cid and Edea, who founded it.

Meanwhile, at a ruinous city called Zanarkand, Yuna led the expedition with Bartz, Zidane, Tifa, and the Warrior of Light in tow. They were having a _wonderful_ time fighting off manikins while listening to Bartz and Zidane bicker.

The Mage of Light, Cecil, Lenna, Tidus, and Maria were currently at the Tower of Zot, in which Cecil was trying his hardest not to get them all lost. The last time he was here, Rosa had led the way.

It turns out Cecil isn't good with directions.

Finally, Garnet, Rinoa, Terra, Luneth, and Arc led the final group through the labyrinthine castle belonging to Garland on Terra.

Every turn Squall took led to another fight with the manikins, and they were quickly growing tired from the consecutive battles- especially those who weren't used to the onslaught Dissidia offered.

Still, they had to find their way through the new area to rally with the others, so onward they marched.

((((()))))

Squall quietly held watch that night while the others rested. He couldn't help being distracted by the familiar shine of the moon, the soft wind rustling the nearby shrubs, or the illusionary sounds of laughter echoing from the base.

_Seifer, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, Cid, and Matron… I've left them all to come here._

He let out a sigh and stuck his gun blade into the soft soil.

_Why was it me? I'm not cut out for "leadership" or "teamwork". Leave that to the others; they actually enjoy the company of these idiots._

Softly, Squall heard quiet footsteps behind him. With a quick look, he saw Dagger, cloaked in white light shed from the moon, quietly step over the sleeping warriors. The SeeD rolled his eyes and looked back.

_Monkey-boy's moronic friend._

His eyes went wide.

…_who was _not_ supposed to be here._

In one quick motion, Squall jumped to his feet and drew his gun blade, pointing it at the frozen manikin. "I-I…-" she started.

Squall didn't give her time to respond, firing his gun.

Celes shot up with a sharp scream. Gasping, she turned to Squall. "What was that for?" she demanded, groping for her sword in the night's darkness.

"Manikin. Go back to sleep,"

The Magitek Soldier, however, turned to see the enemy for herself. "Dagger?" she thought to herself. "That's the first manikin of her we've seen yet."

Cloud, who was also awake now, furrowed his eyebrows. "It's not dead."

Celes carefully moved over to the manikin, with her sword tight in her clenched, slightly shaking hands. "D-Dagger?" she asked.

It groaned, sounding very un-manikin like. Dagger turned to her with dark eyes, whispering, "M-mistake…. Only came to w-warn you…."

Celes let out a sharp scream.

((((()))))

Bartz bit the inside of his cheek while they sat around a hastily built fire, the five of them indulging in peaceful silence. Yuna had- unsuccessfully- tried to summon aeons, believing that when they arrived in the Chamber of the Fayth, she would be able to draw power from it as in the old days. She now sat and looked into the fire, absently humming an upbeat tune to herself.

Zidane's head suddenly shot up. "Did you guys hear that?"

Bartz cocked an eyebrow. "Hear what?"

Groaning, he put his forehead back on his knees. "Stupid Garland, I guess."

"You can hear Garland?" Light asked, intrigued.

The genome shrugged, obviously troubled by something. "Whenever he feels the need to drop me a hello, anyway. But geez…. That sounded like Squall's gun blade and… and…."

He suddenly stood, eyes wide. "Dagger screamed. She's not with Squall, right? Right?"

After a confused nod from his companions, he sighed again, sitting back down. "Then Garland's playing one of his stupid games. You know, for an old geezer, the man acts like a five-year-old."

Yuna, Light, and Tifa went back to their silence. Bartz, however, prodded his friend's arm. "You alright, man?"

Zidane nodded. "I'm alright. I'm just too screwy because Dagger's here, and we're not around to keep Squall in line."

Tifa suddenly fell on her back, squinting up at the stars. "I feel useless. Do one of you want to come with me and fight off some manikins?"

Bartz and Zidane both jumped to their feet. "I will!" they cried.

The thief turned to the mimic. "You're so noisy, copy-cat."

"You're so noisy, pickpocket."

The Warrior of Light sighed. "We'll all go, alright? It's been too long a day to have you bickering like this. Maybe we can meet up with Mage and the others. That tower isn't too far from here."

Yuna giggled as Zidane and Bartz burst into song about Light and Mage.

Zidane suddenly stopped, eyes wide, and fell forward on his face. Yuna shrieked, jumping away in shock. She drew her guns, cocked and ready to fire at any manikins. The thief struggled to pick himself up, grunting in pain.

"G-Garland…!" he growled. Zidane let out a cry, squeezing his eyes shut.

The Warrior of Light turned to Yuna and Tifa. "You two go the Tower of Zot and bring the others here. Bartz, can I trust you to go find Dagger?"

The three dashed off, leaving Zidane and Light alone.

Grinning, Zidane leapt to his feet. "Nice job, Edea."

Fading back into the sorceress, Edea smiled and gave a mock bow. "You did well on your part as well."

"_Very_ well, considering I'm Zidane."

Edea's smile crumpled as the thief drew his daggers and charged.

The sorceress easily jumped out of the way, but Zidane did a back flip and jumped onto her on his way down. "The Warrior of Light wouldn't have split us up just for little ole' me," he grimly explained.

She smirked. "Of course he wouldn't. Your fearless little Warrior of Light. Always looking out for his comrades, eh?"

((((()))))

Kuja smirked, watching the scene behind a pillar. "One down," he grinned, turning away. "Bravo, pawns. Bravo."

((((()))))

Kain returned to the camp soaking wet. "I couldn't find Light or Mage," he explained, strapping his javelin back. "It seems like both teams are missing."

Cloud's eyes widened- if only a fraction. "Then it's safe to say the enemy found them?"

Celes finished wrapping Dagger's wound and turned to Squall with a fierce glare. "Will you please take care to look at _what_ you are shooting?"

Squall, who was idly leaning against a wall of a grass maze, opened one eye. "She should have made her presence known instead of sneaking past here like a fool. It's not my fault I acted accordingly."

Firion caught her arm as Celes gritted her teeth, ready to fight. "You're doing no one a favor acting like this!" he shouted, pulling her back. To Squall, he growled, "And you should have woken us if you thought an enemy was here, instead of wrongly attacking her!"

With a blank face, Squall pulled out his blade again. Firion took a step back from the weapon. "I know you better than this, Ultimecia."

"What!" he burst, reaching for his bow and arrows. In dismay he turned to see them still on the ground, feet away. Firion turned back to Squall with a glare. "No, I'm not Ultimecia. _You_ are. Squall would never turn against us like this!"

"You think I wouldn't?" he challenged, slashing his sword.

Celes blocked the slash just in time with her own. "I am your opponent, remember?"

He nodded. "Very well."

"_Stop it!"_

Obediently, both warriors paused long enough to see Rinoa.

Tears sprang from the sorceress's eyes. "You all are idiots!" she screamed, pointing to Dagger, who had gone pale. "Stop fighting and help her already!"

Celes dropped her sword and ran over to the queen's side. "I'm sorry…," she breathed, shaking her head and flinging new raindrops away. "I-I'm so sorry, Dagger…."

Rinoa stuck out her hands and, with only the snap of her fingers, all time froze. "I can't believe them," she muttered, kneeling down to pick up Dagger. "Squall can't even tell left from right- let alone who his real enemy is."

Rinoa cracked a grin. "Isn't that right," she said sweetly- sickly sweet, "my little doll?"

((((()))))

Finally unable to go on, Arc plopped down on the ground. Seeing enough was enough, Luneth followed suit, taking off his helmet and running his hand through his hair. Terra nervously turned and stuttered, "Boys, Dagger and Rinoa told us to keep going and to find the Warrior of Light. Shouldn't we keep going?"

Arc looked up at her and frowned. "I'm tired, and it's getting late anyway. We didn't even stop for dinner earlier. I think we've gone far enough."

The half-esper let out a defeated sigh. Even she couldn't deny that they _had_ been walking for quite a long time with empty stomachs. What was worse, Dagger and Rinoa had been in charge of carrying the food.

"Today sucks," Luneth sighed.

Even though neither of them would have put it that way, Arc and Terra couldn't help but agree.

((((()))))

"Keep… quiet…!"

"NEVER!"

Edea finally had success in taping Zidane's mouth. The thief narrowed his eyes at the sorceress, but eventually gave up on trying to intimidate her- _Why couldn't you make me look manlier, Garland?_- and just sat still like a proper prisoner.

Nodding to herself, Edea purred, "What a nice little boy."

Zidane kicked her shin, silenced and tied up. Kuja must have been behind this, too, because Edea had even remembered to tie up his tail, his escape tool.

"Edea, we're back."

Both thief and sorceress turned to see Rinoa walk in carrying a pale, unconscious Dagger. Zidane's eyes went wide, and he struggled to break free. Rinoa less than gently set the girl down and walked over to the blonde. "You're going to be a nice prisoner for us now, alright? Whenever your friends come back, you're going to be Edea or Ultimecia. Whoever you prefer, of course."

Stepping back and clearing her throat, Edea turned back into the Warrior of Light. "Are we ready?"

Rinoa nodded. "Of course we are."

Zidane winced, as she let out a shrill scream. "DAGGER! HE GOT DAGGER! IMPOSTER!"

In less time than they had thought, Yuna, Tifa, and the warriors gone to the tower had ran back to the scene.

Rinoa's hand shook as she pointed to him in horror. "H-he attacked Dagger!"

The Warrior of Light nodded. "I took care to tie him up. He stabbed her in cold blood, and we knew it had to be the enemy."

Zidane stomped on the ground in fury, shaking his head wildly.

Biting her lip, Rinoa threw out a lightning spell. Zidane fell on his side, cringing from the pain. He glared up at the girl, still unable to say a word.

"Just look at the wound he gave to Dagger!" Rinoa tearfully continued, shaking again.

Zidane's eyes followed her point.

Dagger- the love of his life- lay on the cold ground amongst the ruins of Zanarkand, pale in the moonlight and blossoming from yellow to dark red. A hole, just the right size of his dagger, in her jumpsuit flowed blood from her side. Despite himself, tears sprang to Zidane's eyes.

Tifa suddenly yanked him up by the shirt. "How dare you?" she spat, punching him in the face. Zidane landed hard on the stone ground again, his hands now free from the impact. He ripped the tape away from his mouth and rasped, "N-not me…!"

"Lies!" Rinoa insisted, now kneeling protectively at Dagger's side. The brunette brushed back dark hair from alabaster skin. "Lies…. You… you did this to her…. You did!"

She burst into tears now, her act so believable that even Zidane couldn't help from flinch. Suddenly it dawned on him. "Kuja gave you acting lessons…, didn't he? He told you to frame me while did away with the real Rinoa and Light…."

Zidane numbly turned just as Tidus, running into him, placed a solid kick to the thief's stomach. Zidane slammed into a pillar, blood running down his chin. His arm shaking, he wiped the blood and slowly stood, staggering. Once again, he caught sight of Dagger, sending inadvertent tears spring to his eyes. He looked up at his allies, weapons drawn and ready for attack, glaring down at him.

He shook his head, and, as if that was a signal, they rushed him. With a cry, Zidane ran straight into them, intending to go down fighting- if only to be with Dagger.

_Bring my beloved Dagger to me._

**Opening quote: _Flower_, by Gackt (check out the version with English subtitles. It might take a while, but it's definitely worth the time put into the search.)**


	13. Hana flower

**This is the longest chapter I've ever written in any of my fanfictions... yet I feel like it's pretty short. Why is that? Anyway, here a few things are revealed, and a lot of questions arise. The lovely quote is from Cissnei in Crisis Core: FFVII. I couldn't resist. Please R&R!**

**Chapter 13- Hana**

_Wings symbolize freedom for those who have none._

((((()))))

Terra suddenly jumped to her feet, turning towards the darkened hallway they had just traveled through. Luneth and Arc were already asleep; easily drifting into slumber after only a few minutes of rest. Nervously, she conjured a flame in her hand to light the way. She heard the soft patter of rain against the castle outside, and it gave the half-esper a chilled, eerie feeling instead of the comfort the boys found in it. Never before had it rained in Dissidia before, and she knew that today should have been no different.

"Mmm… Terra… put out the light," Luneth mumbled, turning away from her.

She took one last, hesitant look around. Seeing nothing, she exhaled and grinned. Terra extinguished the light and sat back down at the foot of her "bed", a blanket and her rolled up cape as a pillow. "Good night, Luneth."

"Ahm, g'night, Terra," he sighed, half-consciously putting his hand on her arm.

He easily drifted back into unconsciousness.

Still, Terra felt no ease. She just knew that something was wrong- something dangerous brewing outside of the castle.

Where were Dagger and Rinoa? They certainly had to be back soon. Something was wrong with Rinoa, she knew. It almost seemed as though she was another….

Like she was another person. Gasping with this new realization, Terra quickly apologized and shook the boys awake. After seeing her frightened expression, neither Arc nor Luneth uttered a harsh word. "Terra? What's wrong? Are we under attack?"

She shook her head and clasped her shaking hands. "R-Rinoa… I think that she's under control by someone else."

Arc and Luneth exchanged an incredulous look. "What do you mean?" Arc asked, gathering their supplies. Luneth hastily put his helmet back on and drew his sword. "She seemed normal to me."

"But… she snapped at you for lagging behind yesterday, remember? From what Squall has told us, Rinoa never does that. She's _always_ nice."

The three suddenly froze in the middle of the darkened hallway. The mirrors on the walls around them reflected their startled faces, almost like a cruel mockery. Arc pulled his hat down farther and whimpered, "I don't want to stay here. What if we're in the middle of a trap?"

Luneth frowned at his friend, but couldn't help but feel unnerved as well. "Is it raining?" he suddenly inquired, putting his ear to the wall.

Terra nodded. "It's been raining since Rinoa and Dagger left…. What do think is going on out there? With everyone else, I mean. I've had this… uneasy feeling all night. I think the esper part of me senses danger."

"Then let's go find everyone else. Maybe they've run into the girls," Luneth offered. When his stomach growled, he miserably added, "And maybe they can spare us some food."

Arc and Terra, equally famished, wholeheartedly agreed.

((((()))))

Zidane lay on the ground a simple few feet from Dagger. A cut above his eye bled, obscuring sight in his left eye. He was sure that, thanks to Tifa, he also had a broken nose and a few cracked ribs. Cuts laced his arms, courtesy of Tidus, Cecil, and the Mage of Light.

In short, it was the worst beating he had ever received.

The thief had long lost the will to fight back against his companions, and he knew telling them that he truly was Zidane wouldn't help very much. It was stereotypical that the villain would always deny the truth until the bitter end. Why would it be any different for him?

A dismal voice inside of him had told him to warn the others before hand whenever he first noticed the Warrior of Light acting differently. Light never would have voluntarily gone with them. Although he was practically religious about the warriors sticking in groups, he himself stood dejectedly away from everyone else, choosing to venture alone. Why hadn't anyone else noticed it before?

Because was their great leader, a man who would never betray any of them.

It was brilliant.

After being knocked about by the majority of Light Warriors, Zidane was even willing to accept that he _was_ the bad guy in the situation. But Dagger….

Wearily, he lifted his head and looked up at Maria. "Will you heal her…?"

The archer, surprised, lowered her bow and turned to Dagger. "But… didn't you…?"

"Tricking us isn't going to work, Ultimecia, Edea, whoever you are!" Tidus declared, moving in front of Maria and brandishing his blade.

Zidane shook his head. The small action felt a tremor, knocking loose whatever grip on reality he once had. His thoughts now only centered around Dagger. "Not trying to. Just… don't let her die, alright? Go ahead and finish me off… but spare Dagger. She's still got a life to live."

Edea, still transformed into Light, turned to Rinoa. "Heal her."

Zidane angrily threw a khukuri at the sorceress, barely grazing her neck and the choker she wore, making her jump away from the queen. "Can't trust you… Maria…."

Rinoa suddenly staggered a little, grabbing the cut choker. "I… I…." She turned to Zidane with hate filled-eyes. "You stupid monkey!" she cried. "You've ruined everything!"

He cracked a grin, closing his eyes and laying his head back to the wet, stony ground.

The sorceress let out another scream, scrambling with twitching hands to tie the choker back into place. Finally both Rinoa and the necklace fell to the ground, unconscious.

Edea stepped away from the group, her eyes wide with fear. Yuna let out a choked cry and rushed to Zidane. "H-he wasn't the imposter! It's Light!"

Edea transformed back and curled her lip disdainfully at the warriors. "Dratted boy…. Our control over Rinoa was flawless until he ruined everything!"

The sorceress stopped as a lance impaled her. She silently turned, mouth agape, to look at Kain. The dragoon pulled out his javelin and explained, "I jumped away before the girl cast a time spell on us. Squall, Firion, Celes, and Cloud are still frozen in time."

His eyes widened at finally taking notice of Zidane. "Z-Zidane?" he exclaimed.

Yuna looked up at him with tears in her heterochromatic eyes. "We… we thought it was him…."

Kain looked to the ground. "Is Rinoa injured as well?" His voice was subdued- the shock at how easily their trust could be broken evident on his face.

Mage finally forced her eyes away from Zidane and Dagger, and looked at the sorceress. "I… I think she was being controlled through that necklace."

With a small nod, Kain kneeled and picked it up. "Wasn't this symbol on Gilgamesh's armor?"

He handed it to Mage, who squinted a pair of golden eyes at the small symbol. "Yes. Gilgamesh was from Terra and Celes's world, wasn't he? I think it's the symbol of Gestahl, if I'm correct. Where is Terra, then? And Luneth and Arc?"

"Where's Bartz?" Lenna abruptly asked.

Tifa and Yuna looked away from Zidane. "Li- er, Edea told him to find Dagger. Maybe he's with Terra, Luneth, and Arc?" the bartender offered.

((((()))))

"And when will we be ready to freeze the rain, trapping them?" Seymour asked, eager to begin the plan.

"And when will we be ready to get your brain working?" Jecht mocked in his best attempt at a soft voice like the maester.

Kuja smirked and turned to Xande. "Has the rain got them drenched yet?"

The warlock nodded, stepping down from a pedestal decorated in mystic spells he and Seymour knew to mean "water".

Bikke cracked a grin, leaning out into rain pouring down from the sky. "Since we're all on your side," he gruffly started, turning back to Kuja, "we can talk about why you're out to kill off the rest of the gang, eh?"

"Then," Kuja proposed with the flip of his hair, "you can tell us why you are parading around as that hideous pirate."

Jecht, Xande, and Seymour blinked in confusion. Kuja irritably turned to the three. "None of you noticed how fake he looks and sounds? Idiots."

Bikke, or whoever he was, burst out laughing. "Not even Garland noticed the difference, and we once worked close to each other! You have a good sense of detection, boy."

Kuja dipped his head, "Naturally."

"I found a little mousie~!"

The five villains turned to Wind Cave's entrance to see Kefka skip in with Bartz walking in behind him. The wanderer stopped and cocked his head at the villains staring back at him with equal confusion. "What are you doing here?" Jecht started, frowning. "Aren't you supposed to be with Monkey in his dire time of need?"

Bartz narrowed his eyes at them and crossed his arms. "Everyone's acting screwy. I'm just here to ask why. What're you guys planning?"

"You're the best the other side could afford?" Bikke deadpanned, looking him over with distaste. "I don't think you're hardly fit to fight off a wasp, kid."

"I find offense in that," Bartz said matter-of-factly.

Seymour rolled his eyes and took out his elegant, golden staff. "Shall we do away with this fool?"

They turned to Kuja, staring at the mimic with a curious expression. "You are unaware of everything at the moment, aren't you?"

Slowly, Bartz put on a frown. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly. He summoned Sephiroth's masamune. "Just what are you guys planning?"

Kefka shrugged, hopping up into a float. "The usual! We're taking out our own side one by one, so that we'll be Chaos's favorite and get all of the glory in killing you flies off! Isn't that a great plan?"

Kuja palmed himself. Kefka stuck his lower lip out in a pout at seeing his temporary boss's disdain. "What did I do now?"

"Only reveal the plan to _me_."

Bartz and the Dark Warriors to see Kadaj. The remnant offered them a brief smirk and sauntered in. "I want to join on your side," he stated, going straight to the heart of the matter. He brushed away a strand of silver hair, just a shade lighter than Sephiroth's.

"We'll shortly be killing your precious Big Brother," Bikke reminded him, pointing back to the mages and Jecht- who had come along on account of seeing the Emperor as insufferable, as well as the others were.

Kadaj narrowed his bright green eyes at him. "Shut it, old man. Those of us acquainted with bathing are talking, now."

Bikke turned to catch Kuja's reaction. The genome finally nodded.

The remnant moved to the magic circle, but Jecht stopped him, giving him a wry grin. "What's going on here?" Kadaj asked Kuja, looking between each of them.

"I'm still deciding whether or not you would have proved useful," Kuja mused.

"Then, why nod?"

"Oh, that?"

Kuja let out a mirthless laugh, crossing his arms. "I was simply giving my friend Bikke the okay on killing you."

Bartz was long gone from the cave as soon as Kadaj's scream reached him.

((((()))))

"I'm so, so, _so_ sorry, Zidane," Lenna sniffed for the _fifteenth_ time.

Again, for the _fifteenth_ time, Zidane waved it off. "It's alright." He wearily leaned back against one of the few pillars left standing in Zanarkand, closing his eyes and letting the rain wash off any blood left on his face. "I had no idea about Rinoa, actually," he started, changing the subject. "That was pure luck."

He cracked a grin. "Lady Luck- my greatest friend."

"Though perhaps she had other matters to attend to than bothering with you today," Dagger said dryly beside him. The thief cast her a grin, immediately wincing. Dagger took notice and furrowed her eyebrows, frowning. "Just rest. Leave the joking for whenever Bartz comes back."

Doing as he was told, Zidane muttered, "Then you can save the lectures for whenever you and Light can exchange discipline tactics."

Tifa brought over some soup for them. "It's watery because of the rain, but it's warm, at least," she said awkwardly, giving the couple each a bowl.

Zidane looked up when he noticed the frowns on everyone's faces. "Hey," he softly called, hating how his hoarse voice cracked, "everyone eat up. We've gotta get a bright and early start tomorrow morning."

This irked most of the warriors in many ways. First, they were about ready to half kill him again for acting so happy and forgiving. Second, fighting and arguing took a lot of energy- they had plans to _sleep in _tomorrow. And lastly, with all of the rain, no one expected the morrow to have any relation to a bright and wonderful morning.

Lenna suddenly shrieked. Everyone's attention turned to her. She pointed to a blue and green wisp in mute horror.

Cracking grins and chuckling, Yuna and Tidus explained, "Those are pyre flies- they have memories of people in them. With all of the pyre flies here, we're probably going to get a show soon."

"Entertainment?" Cecil sarcastically gasped. "Here, in no-man's land?"

Tidus nodded, leaning back on his elbows. "Probably some sappy scenes with my old man."

They all made twisted, horrified faces (with the exception of Mage, Cecil, and Kain), cringing at the thought.

"GUYS!"

Luneth came running up, his helmet halfway sliding off. "Guys, we've urgent news!" he shouted, rocking on his heels. "Rinoa's been taken over by the bad guys and… I see she's unconscious. Hmm. Oh, well."

Arc and Terra finally caught up with him, the latter falling to her knees and panting. "Ran here… straight from Garland's castle…."

"And hungry," Arc breathlessly added. "We're really, really hungry."

Terra and Luneth seconded that motion.

A faint grin on his face, Cecil passed them the soup. "Eat up; we've got plenty."

Eagerly slurping it up, Luneth turned to Zidane, his eyes going wide. He dropped his spoon. "What happened to you?"

Terra squealed and immediately set to unnecessarily casting every white magic spell she knew on Zidane and Dagger, who once again rolled their eyes. "Epically lost at a Blitz game with Tidus," Zidane easily joked, his voice again raspy. "Crap. Dumb rain's giving me a cold."

He was immediately given capes and blankets to warm himself. Zidane narrowed his eyes and barked, "Knock it off, guys!" before hissing out in pain and going silent.

The half-esper wasn't fazed. "Zidane…-"

Zidane gave her a grin, cutting off her worrying. "I'm fine. It's nothing a good night of rest won't fix."

"If you don't shut up about that positivity," Tifa finally threatened, glaring daggers at him, "so help me, I'll kick from here to Crystal World."

He gently shrugged, trying to keep the wince in check.

Mage finally spoke, breaking an uncomfortable silence. "Perhaps we should all turn in for the night. Cecil, Kain, Tidus, would you all try and put up some blankets to keep the rain off of us tonight?"

They nodded, eager to get the job done and hurry to sleep.

Terra helped Zidane lay down on a blanket donated by Yuna, chirping things like, "Try not to move too much," and, "if you need anything just tell me".

She then went to Dagger, doing the same.

((((()))))

Some time in the middle of the night, Kuja, Bikke, and Jecht's trap set off in the Wind Cave. Earlier, before the day's chaos had occurred, Kuja had drawn a destructive spell on the pedestal, insuring that whatever final spell Xande cast would inevitably fall down on Seymour and himself.

Kefka had left soon after Kadaj had been taken care of, leaving for his own devices. He was to (hopefully) meet up with them again bringing Golbez and Leon.

As the rain came to an abrupt stop, Kuja broke into fit of giggles. "I can't believe so many fools could fall for such a stupid plan! We'll have them conquered by tomorrow at this rate!"

Jecht clapped the two on the back and declared, "This is means for a celebration! What're we going to do?"

Bikke and Kuja answered simultaneously: "Food."

((((()))))

When Bartz arrived later in the night, he also found Squall, Celes, Cloud, and Firion coming n the camp, frustrated at having been frozen for so long. "Hiya, guys!" Bartz greeted the sour bunch.

Tidus, on guard duty, popped his head out of a mass of hanging blankets. "Oh, there you all are. Everyone, the others are back!"

He was replied with various moans; Luneth threw his helmet out at him. Tidus let out a shaky laugh. "Fine, fine. Keep sleeping." Under his breath he muttered, "And let me just stay out here all night keeping you bums safe."

Celes rubbed her cold arms and sat down. "I'm too scared to sleep," she admitted. "I don't like it here at all."

"Well…," Tidus started, sitting down himself, "it does get better. Today was just a bad day for everyone, seems like."

The soldier leaned over her knees, pulling them close and wrapping her cape around her. "Locke or Edgar should have come here. Not me. I'm not cut out for this."

Tidus gave a light shrug. "Maybe Cosmos sent you here for a reason. I mean, she brought _me_ here so I wouldn't just fade away. Technically, I shouldn't even exist. Long story, don't ask."

"I was a puppet for the army. I was a mindless killing machine…." Tears started to form in Celes's eyes. "But… Locke saved me. He brought me to Terra and the others, and they took care of me, despite what I had done…."

"See? Maybe this is another way to prove yourself. Wouldn't want the others to take the glory, do you?"

She was silent a moment. Then, slowly, she shook her head and muttered, "I guess not."

The Blitz star grinned, and Celes couldn't help but smile a little.

"Thank you, Tidus."


	14. Dokyou courage

**A few things are explained in here, but again, I'm afraid a few more questions are also going to pop up. Sorry... The opening quote is by Magus, from Chrono Trigger. Now that I think about it, it sort of fits Kuja a little, too. Until the incident in Terra, of course. Anyway, please R&R!**

**Chapter 14- Dokyou**

_If my fate is to be destroyed… I must simply laugh!_

((((()))))

The Warrior of Light stopped once he arrived at Pandaemonium. Edea's crazy plan had probably already started, but the other warriors weren't _that _stupid to fall for such an elementary trick, so he hadn't bothered to turn back for them.

Light drew his sword and stabbed it into the red tiles of the Emperor's castle. "Come out!" he shouted, laying down his shield as well.

Even though the other's weren't completely hopeless fools, it didn't mean they couldn't make mistakes. Light was here for reinforcements- ones who he was sure could go to the good side if only for a little while.

Leon walked out from behind a red wall, his arms crossed and sword sheathed on his back. "The Pansy of Light?" he smirked.

"Your sister and adoptive brother are on our side," he started, "and I doubt you'd want anything to happen to them because of Chaos's actions. What exactly is Edea and Kefka trying to pull by transforming into me and taking control of Rinoa?"

The dark knight burst out laughing. "You think that just because those low-lifes are my family that I'm willing to share all of our grand plans with you? Well, here's a little piece of advice: _I don't care what happens to either one of them_."

"But why?"

Leon pursed his lips and turned away. "Not all secrets are meant to be kept, as well as not every truth is meant to be spoken. You should turn back now before the others notice I'm gone."

The Warrior of Light didn't say anything and reclaimed his sword and shield. Both stopped mid-stride as the sound of rain pelted the outside of Pandaemonium. Leon cursed, taking off running. "I knew they were up to no good!" he muttered, rushing away.

Light turned to the wall, eyes wide. "I have never seen rain in Pandaemonium… nor any where else in Dissidia…."

Slowly, a thought dawned on him. Bikke had sworn to the good side after he, Mage, and the others had defeated him. Surely the pirate wouldn't go back into so much evil Chaos would choose him over others like Lich, Kary, Astos, and countless others they had faced….

"Oh no," he groaned, turning to run off himself. _How did Mage and I not catch that!_

((((()))))

"It must have been Edea or Ultimecia, then…," Rinoa explained, staring at the cut necklace. "She looked like Squall when she gave it to me, and…. Oh, I can't believe I fell for that!"

She palmed herself and started muttering things like, "Just like when I thought Seifer was going to be a prince charming" and "Exactly like when I thought Quistis could get a life…."

Squall frowned. "You thought _Seifer_ was a prince charming?"

The sorceress straightened up immediately. "Ah n-no, well, um, maybe… but that was before he turned evil, and I really started to know you, and-"

"I'm kidding, Rinoa, calm down."

"Oh."

The SeeD rolled his eyes. "So I take we're never splitting up again?" he asked sarcastically.

"You've got that right," Firion said with a nod.

Cloud miserably nodded. "I've got a crick in my neck from being frozen like that…. Besides, when did you get power of time too, Rinoa?"

Both Rinoa and Squall paled. "U-um…-"

"OH BARTZ I FORGOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!" Lenna suddenly shouted, shirking their attention from Rinoa to her momentarily. Rinoa got the hint and, giving the princess a thankful smile, slid away unnoticed.

Bartz zoomed up to her, grinning. "Yeah?"

She tapped her chin. "Hmm… seems like I forgot. Oh well."

Turning around with a smile on her face, she ignored the weird looks Squall, Cloud, and Firion gave her and skipped away.

Squall, too confused to even bother about thinking of what had just occurred, said, "What a catch you've got, Bartz," and went off in search of Rinoa.

((((()))))

The Warrior of Light blamed the arrival of the twenty new warriors on his becoming lost.

With the new locations popping up so suddenly, it was hard to navigate through Dissidia to get back to Zanarkand where, hopefully, he would find one group. He had left before the other groups' explorations would take place were decided, and the ruinous city would be a good hiding spot even if the warriors weren't there.

But now he wandered through a decimated rural town, more foliage than actual buildings. A sign near what Light figured was the entrance had its name written, but he couldn't discern it from the sign's age and the damage to it.

Eventually he made out "Mobliz".

That was from Terra's world, he remembered, from one of her stories of children she used to care for in the town. But why would this place be in Dissidia? As far as he had known, it was just a town fallen victim to Kefka.

"Ghosts are here, programmed by some sort of machine old man Garland and Kefka came up with. I doubt you'll be able to see any of them, but I don't think it's wise to bring Terra or Celes here any time soon."

The Warrior of Light turned slightly to see Gilgamesh. The warrior carried two swords- Excalipur and a nameless bronze sword, but didn't seem like he was here for a battle. He pointed to the ruins of a burnt house behind him. "Those kids she looked after lived in that house in her world. I think the Cloud of Darkness and Exdeath were planning something there earlier. Hopefully it's not a spell Kuja gave them- he's out to kill us all, I think."

"Kuja is planning to get rid of the Chaos warriors?" Light asked incredulously.

The swordsman nodded. "Everyone in contact with him thus far, besides Bikke, Jecht, Golbez, and Kefka, have kicked the bucket. Except for Edea, but think your guys are going to take care of her shortly. Seymour, Xande, and Kadaj are already gone."

Light suddenly asked, "And what about you? Why are you warning me of this?"

Gilgamesh shrugged. "I figure that you guys will be the winning side. I like to stray over to whoever's strongest. Besides, I once gave Terra and those others a summon of myself. I don't actually want to fight here. I think Chaos grabbed me accident, actually. I was looking for this-" he held up Excalipur "-around a bunch of guys from Gestahl's army…. Besides, I'm not sure, but I think I may have seen… that boy before…. Bartz, I think it was?"

Light nodded. He had heard about a man named Gilgamesh fighting along side Exdeath many times from Bartz. "Perhaps it's possible that our worlds are connected in more ways than one, then. Such as how every world has a man named Cid in it, and how, apparently, the Highwind's are all dragoons or closely related to one. Now that I think about it, almost everyone has a crystal, or magicite, or materia…."

The two thought about this for a moment.

"So… it's cool if I hang out with you?" Gilgamesh finally asked.

The Warrior of Light shrugged. "Why not."

((((()))))

Cecil stopped as he walked past Tidus, staring off into the mouth of the destroyed Zanarkand blitz ball stadium. "Is something wrong, Tidus?" he asked, coming over.

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm just remembering some stuff. Zanarkand used to be my home until I went a thousand or so years into the future. It's just, I never expected to see it in Dissidia either," he said, peering into the building. "Star of the Zanarkand Abes…. And it was all just a dream of some Fayth."

Much to the paladin's surprise, Tidus burst out laughing. "All of us are too mopey! Let's head out and go find Light already. Yo!" he called back to Zidane and Dagger, sitting by and tending to the fire (well, Dagger was, and Zidane poked others passing by with a stick). "Think you're ready to go if we head out?"

Zidane jumped up and punched the air. "It's about time we've got moving!"

Cecil slightly gaped at the thief and asked Tidus, "When did he get that healed that fast?"

"Well… I'm not sure, but I'm sure the seven or so white mages we've got had something to do with it."

The paladin palmed himself. "Right. I forgot about them."

((((()))))

After spending so much time with Gilgamesh, a self-proclaimed "master swordsman", the Warrior of Light was ready to kill the man with Excalipur and all of those other stupid swords!

Still, since was supposed to be the leader of the Light Warriors, he kept his mouth shut, tried to tune out the many pointless and irritating conversations, and strode straight ahead until he finally reached a new destination: a mansion, poor and lacking many needed reparations. After exploring a bit around the area, the two warriors stumbled across a vast library in the basement. Books were strewn everywhere, and the lack of dust on the tomes told them that someone had been by here recently. Further into the basement was a laboratory, fine dust there to tell them that _this_, thankfully, had _not_ been recently used.

"…want this to do more than cripple that rotten liar!"

Light and Gilgamesh turned to the library. Nodding, they dashed behind the cluttered junk filling the laboratory.

"And so it shall. But I cannot help you- not while he has Cecil captive. If Kuja really did kill Xande and Kadaj so easily, I cannot risk the same fate for my brother."

_That's Golbez…_ Light thought.

"Something in this library must have given Sephiroth some idea of how to acquire ultimate destruction of a planet, so I _must _be able to find something I can use against Kuja."

_And… Seymour? But didn't Gilgamesh say earlier that Kuja had killed him and Xande?_

Light stole a glance at Gilgamesh, hiding behind a tube-like structure draped with a blanket. The swordsman had his eyebrows furrowed, absorbing everything.

His eyes suddenly went wide. _Leon! That's why he wouldn't help me before- he thinks that Kuja has Maria and Firion! That would explain why Jecht is following him too, if thinks Tidus is there too. Ultimecia must have transformed into each of them at separate times to make them wary. It all makes sense… And if Zidane and Dagger's Garland helped Kefka in Mobliz, he must think that Kuja has Zidane or something. He _is _technically his father in a way._

Finally, the two Chaos warriors left the library, going back to the upper floor, Light and Gilgamesh let out a sigh and silently, and carefully, followed after them.

Seymour and Golbez were already gone by time they exited the mansion, arriving at the edge of Zanarkand at last. "Everyone!" Light called out, seeing them readying to leave.

Nineteen weapons pointed at them. Gilgamesh gulped and dropped his swords, raising his hands above his head. The Mage of Light parted through the crowd and asked, "What happened to Red Mage and Black Mage when we fought Kary?"

Light answered, "They both came up with a stupid plan of encasing her in ice so Thief could successfully steal the fire orb while I fought off fiends, and you healed Black Belt's injuries."

She grinned. "Alright. That's the real Fi- er, Light."

Bartz let out a deep breath. "Oh, good. I'm not sure I could have taken another fight against Ultimecia."

Tifa stomped on his foot. "YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE!" she raged.

The wanderer shrank back behind Lenna, peering out at her fearfully.

Terra cocked her head at Gilgamesh as he reclaimed his swords. "Gil?"

He looked up and smiled. "Ah, Terra and Lady Celes. Long time no see, ladies. I formed a bit of treaty with Light here, so I'm on your side!"

The warriors went silent.

Terra forced a smile. "Th… that's great."

"…Really," Celes added, a faux smile on her face too. Neither could help their twitching eyes.

Gilgamesh ignored the look and happily cried, "Thanks for welcoming me into the family!"

Light finally turned to the swordsman. "May have a word with you?"

((((()))))

"Brilliant thinking, Light," Mage mused, giggling at the tied up and silenced Gilgamesh trailing behind them. It's a good thing to have mages on your side, to say the least.


	15. Sora sky

**I don't really have much to say, except to beg your forgiveness on this being almost a MONTH late (I had to sort out the story arc and put in the main part of this chapter before moving on), and to explain a little about the quote. It's from Lightning from FFXIII (which I still have yet to play. Geez I need to get a PS3...), and I can't help but feel how this really fits in with this whole chapter. And here I thought I would end up quoting Balthier! "You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies." I guess that will have to wait until next chapter. Come to think of it, it'll fit a lot better….**

**There are more references to ****Silkscreen Requiem by greyrondo**** than ever in this chapter, but I'd just like to give an awesome story the props it deserves. Check it out sometime.**

**One more thought: This chapter is where the plot starts to thicken the most. Things are going to be revealed right and left here, and hopefully all of your unanswered questions are going to start making sense. At this point, the other villains are going to start to show up, and a lot more battles are going to take place.**

**Also, even though I know I've referenced it before a lot of times, let's all pretend that the warriors don't have their crystals yet, okay?**

**Okay, enough rambling. On to the story! Please R&R!**

**Chapter 15- Sora**

_It's not a question of can or can't. There are some things in life you just do._

((((()))))

"Mobliz!"

Gilgamesh grabbed the back of Terra's cape before she could dash off towards the town. "You don't want to go there," he warned, his silence spell having been worn off long ago. "Old man Garland and Kefka rigged the village. There're traps and ghosties and who knows what else down there."

The blonde's face fell, but she didn't argue. Instead Terra asked, "Why would they do that?"

The warrior shrugged. "I dunno. Trying to get you to go crazy so Clown could take control of you again?"

Both Terra and Luneth's faces flushed white.

Celes clenched her fists. "That's it. The first time I see Kefka again, I'm smashing his face in."

Terra was shocked into a laugh. That definitely wasn't the reaction Celes was looking for, but seeing her friend happier was good enough. The knight then turned to Tifa. "You'll help me, right?"

"Count all of us in!" the bartender cried, grinning ear to ear.

((((()))))

"That's unfortunate," Kuja deadpanned from one of the burned-out houses in Mobliz. "Who would've thought that Gilgamesh wouldn't let them fall for the trick?" Walking towards the entrance to get a better look at the departing warriors, he sighed and crossed his arms. "And here I thought this would go smoother. Oh well. I suppose rushing things a little won't be too bad after all."

Jecht slowly grinned. "Exactly. 'Sides, I haven't got to properly talk to Braska's kid yet."

"You all may do whatever you wish, but make sure to give me time to unravel the plan," Kuja said, looking back to Jecht and Golbez.

Jecht and Golbez nodded.

"Then let's be off, yar," Bikke grinned, raising from his seat with an elegance unbefitting of a pirate. Only Kuja, again, noticed this.

Kuja stopped for a moment. "Actually, …_Bikke_, I have another task for you. Would you mind going to Palamecia Castle to help out our dear friend Leon? I do believe that battle shall be starting any moment now."

Bikke nodded, the smirk wiped off his face. "Ye'll be sending the two brats?"

"I don't think I'll necessarily have to _send_ them, but rather they'll go there on their own. After all, if Maria is as fond of Leon as he is her, she'll be dragging Firion along with a murderous intent for the Emperor," Kuja explained. All four villains took a moment to picture this in their heads. They burst out laughing. "I'll be sure to inform them," Kuja chuckled despite himself. "Be careful not to reveal yourself too soon."

With that said, the Chaos Warriors went their separate ways. Golbez unrolled the map Kefka had crudely drawn on his rounds around the new worlds and pointed to the Tower of Owen, then to the Western Keep. "The warriors should be headed to either of these locations."

Jecht thought a moment before saying, "Probably the Tower, if that black chick and Cloud's heard about the Desch guy the brats knew was an Ancient. Didn't Spiky once say something about a friend being one of those Ancients? Aeris, or something?"

"Aerith," Kuja corrected. "And yes, both of them will definitely want to go there. This was the area from those two kids' world, right? Luneth and Arc?"

"Yeah. So, we're almost certain they'll be going here?" Jecht said, stretching with a yawn. "Boy, doing next to nothing like this is making me feel old."

"You mean feel like your actual age?"

"Shut up, Golbez!"

"Fine, fine. Excuse me, then. I was merely noting that you're in your forties already, and that you are the eldest among us…."

And so the two shot jabs at each other until they reached the tower.

((((()))))

Just as the Chaos warriors had predicted, the warriors first went to the Tower of Owen at Luneth, Arc, Cloud, and Tifa's constant inclinations. Arc grabbed Garnet and Rinoa's arms, dragging them off into the tower. "This is from our world!" he unnecessarily explained. "This is where our friend Desch is from!"

"Is Desch really an Ancient like Aerith was?" Tifa asked, staring up at the soaring dark tower.

Luneth nodded, pulling the rest of them in. "Yep. I wonder if he actually knew Aerith. You know, since Gil here thinks he knows Bartz, Squall, and Zidane, too, I think it may be possible. I'll have to ask him whenever we get back to our own worlds."

Dagger suddenly stopped, wide-eyed. "Zidane… everyone back in our world thinks you're dead. What… what if they think I've died too? Who's ruling Alexandria! Is Steiner and Beatrix's wedding still planned! Oh, no!"

Rinoa gasped too. "That's right! Oh, geez, my father is probably blaming Balamb for this! Do you think he'll attack, Squall?"

"Rikku, Cid, and Brother are probably tearing about Spira right about now, trying to find me…," Yuna groaned. "Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri are probably cheering them on, too."

"I didn't even get to say goodbye to Locke or any of the others, either," Celes murmured in realization.

Lenna and Kain both shrugged. They both had come up with a nice little ploy to explain their disappearances, as well the Mage of Light. Arc was sure that Refia believed he had found Luneth and was hogging all of their "treasure" from Ingus and herself. Crazy girl.

Maria knew that no one would even make a fuss of her and Leon's sudden disappearance but Guy and Hilda, but it was likely they hadn't even noticed yet what with all of the chaos from the Emperor's stain on Fynn and the kingdom.

The Warrior of Light, suddenly caught unaware because of Dagger's question, turned to Mage. "Is that how the others think of me? That I've died?"

She was silent for a moment. Mage took off her hat, golden curls falling down her back. Instead of answering his question, she softly said, "This is actually Red Mage's hat. He said that if I really wanted to be a red mage, then I'd need a lot of friends to lean on when it got too hard."

Light didn't know how to respond, so he asked, "_Is_ it hard?"

"…Not really."

He stole a look at her face, shadowed by the tower. She looked up an him and drew her sword. "This is yours. I never bothered to ask whether or not it bothered you that I used it. You can have it back, and I'll just use the one we got from that manikin of Celes earlier."

Light gripped the hilt, staring down at the blade. "I…-"

"JUST KISS HER ALRE-"

"Shut up, Zidane!" Cecil shouted in an attempt to cover the thief's mouth. "We're finally getting him out of his emotionless shell!"

Bartz cocked his head. "Light is in an emotionless shell? I thought only Cloud and Squall were locked in that."

Tifa pulled the boys off, giving the blushing two an apology before shoving them inside the tower with the rest.

Light cleared his throat and handed Mage her sword back. "I think the others are getting impatient. Let's hurry and explore this area, and head next to the Western Keep and Palamecia Castle."

Mage nodded, also putting on her best sophisticated front. "Yes. Let's go."

((((()))))

Upon entering Palamecia Castle, Bikke was met by Sephiroth and Zemus standing guard. He gave the two an unholy grin, drawing a scythe out of shadow from his left. Sephiroth drew his katana as the pirate grasped the sickle. "I've come to fight, boys, not play," he said, easily dodging the attacks bombarded at him.

Bikke blocked a downward slash from Sephiroth and threw out a dark bomb spell at Zemus to push back his own dark magic. Both jumped back in surprise. "Who are you?" Sephiroth demanded. His eyes widening, he look down at his arm and noticed a tear in his jacket. Underneath was a scratch- when had Bikke done that!

Bikke chuckled, swirling around to try and chop at them with his scythe. "I can't very well tell you that, now can I?"

"Sephiroth, go inform Garland of this. Tell him that Bikke's going after-"

Zemus let out a cry as Bikke hit him back into a wall, cracking the bricks behind him. The warlock glared up at him and seethed, "Who are you! Kary? Lich? Astos? Who!"

Bikke slashed out at him again, then turned and jammed the pole of his scythe at Sephiroth. The SOLDIER jumped back, narrowly avoiding the stab. Zemus teleported away to tend to his wounds, leaving him alone against Bikke. "All alone, Sephy? That's how you prefer things, right?"

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, ignoring the jab. "It doesn't matter who you are. I'll erase your miserable being from existence."

He smirked. "We'll see about that."

((((()))))

"There's a price to every freedom, Leon."

The dark knight's grip on his sword, the Deathbringer, tightened as he glowered at the Emperor sitting on the throne that he once used to sit in when he thought that Mateus was finally dead for good. "Just like there's a price for cheating death, Mateus?" he countered.

The Emperor smirked at the boy's dark look. "Kuja sent you all alone, did he?"

"I'm not here because Kuja sent me."

"Oh? Then you've come for revenge only, eh? Well, I suppose you won't be a complete waste of my time to fight," he said, rising from his seat. The Emperor summoned his staff and pointed it down at Leon. "Our battle begins now."

They charged.

((((()))))

Arc lit the top of his staff aflame to provide light as the Tower grew darker the higher they went. Even though every vibe received from this place was pure evil, neither boy felt any fear and kept walking, chattering and reminiscing. "Ooh, Arc, this is where Refia started to yell at Desch for talking about all of those foreign women again, remember? And then you and Ingus both had to cast Silence on her before she finally shut up. Then I had to go and steal all of her weapons so she wouldn't kill us for it."

The black mage laughed and nodded. "Man, Refia had such a temper, you know?"

Terra, more than shocked at their companion's description, finally broke into the conversation and asked, "Was she really like that? Refia?"

They both solemnly nodded. "Refia was scary person."

"Especially in the mornings," Arc noted. "There was one time when me and Luneth had to throw sea water on her before she woke up, and she nearly bludgeoned us to death with a hammer."

"And whenever we stopped by a blacksmith's place, swearing up and down that the smith wasn't a friend of her dad's and that we weren't going to turn her in for ditching her lessons," Luneth said with a slight shiver, "she pulled out the hammer then, too."

Both cringed at the thought. "I'll never look at that tool the same way again…," the onion knight muttered.

Terra blinked and was silent the rest of the trip. Luneth finally turned to Cloud and Tifa. "So, who was Aerith?"

Cloud paled and seemed to go into one of mopey stages, so Tifa instead answered for him. "Aerith was a good friend of ours who used to sell flowers in the slums below Midgar. She grew these really beautiful yellow lilies in the church near where she lived, too." Tifa shook her head, fondly thinking back to the young woman. "Aerith and I were pretty much the only responsible ones, too, besides Vincent. Cloud would always rush into enemy territory too soon if he knew Sephiroth was nearby. Barrett just wanted to blow up anything even remotely related to Shinra, and Red XIII thought the same, though he was a lot less destructive. Cid was just as impatient and destructive as everyone else, Cait Sith was a freaking robot, and Yuffie…. Dear Lord, that girl stole our materia so often that I could have just strangled her and-"

Luneth cut off her rants. "And then Aerith died, right?"

Tifa slowly nodded. "Sephiroth killed her." She clenched her fist. "And that's why every time he dies, no matter how painful, it'll never be enough to account for her death."

"Double for Zack."

Even Squall was surprised by Cloud's voice this time. It wasn't just a monotone, and it wasn't a hate filled declaration, either. Cloud irritably looked around at the warriors. "Don't we have somewhere to go?" he blandly asked, the moment of pride and sorrow long gone from his mako eyes.

Luneth and Arc exchanged glances before giving a hesitant nod and moving forward.

Feeling the silence weigh down, Yuna started to hum that upbeat tune again. Rinoa cocked an eyebrow at the gunner. "You can sing?"

Yuna shrugged timidly, the shyness she once had as a summoner coming back. "Um… I've sang a few times…."

Rinoa's face lit up. "Do you know _Eyes on Me_?" Without waiting for a response, she burst into song, despite Squall's best attempts to quiet her down. No one at all could bear to listen to anymore, but they had already had enough of her sulking from before that they were sure they could stand a few minutes of her singing.

Everyone but Bartz, anyway. "Hey, how about Yuna sing now?" he asked a little overly ecstatic. Rinoa seemed a little hurt, but reluctantly agreed.

Tidus poked her in the arm. "No fair. I never knew you could sing."

"I-I really can't. I mean, the first wasn't even _me_, and then the second time was Leblanc posing as me, and Lenne was with me in the Thunder Plains…." her voice trailed off into more excuses.

Zidane rolled his eyes. "Well, Dagger can sing really good, too."

The queen's face went red. "Zidane!"

"What! It's true! I mean, you could even get Eiko and Vivi to go to sleep whenever you sang, and even Amarant liked it, even though he'd never admit it, and Rusty wouldn't scream so bad whenever I did something, and you _know _Freya and Quina loved your songs."

"B-but…!" Dagger protested. "I mean, Rinoa was singing really well just a moment ago, and-"

"NO!" Squall, Bartz, Firion, and Luneth shouted.

A gruff voice interrupted her before she could start the horrid song again. "Ah, let's not talk about singing, alright?"

Tidus growled. "Old man."

Jecht's eye twitched. "What is with everyone pointing out my age today? Sheesh!"

Golbez cheerfully popped in a comment of his own about his age, "It's a joke old as dirt, Jecht, just like you!" before Kuja exasperatedly groaned, "Stop it, you two!"

Zidane and Dagger drew their weapons as Kuja sighed and looked up at the group. Paying them no mind, Kuja started, "Well, I guess you all know that we've been trying to get rid of the other warriors, correct?"

Everyone but Light, Gilgamesh, and Bartz let out a "HUH!".

Kuja cocked an eyebrow. "You three didn't tell them? I… didn't actually expect that. Well, in short, since I basically hate everyone on Chaos's side- with the exception of Jecht, Golbez, and a few others with actual brains- I've decided that I'm simply going to get rid of them."

"Didn't you say we were going to explain what exactly is going on?" Jecht deadpanned to their elected leader.

"Yes, before the Mimic boy hurts himself with realization," Golbez said, eyeing Bartz rocking on heels, biting his lip to prevent him from shouting out anything.

Bartz let out a deep breath and inhaled again before rapidly saying, "_''tlikethem,butthey'!_"

"I've known you to say a lot of crazy stuff, Bartz Klauser, but I must admit this is the first time I can honestly say I didn't understand a word of that," Lenna stated, staring at him in disbelief.

"I _said-_"

"We're trying to keep you all alive so you can help us with a task later on," Jecht said for him. The blitz ball star crossed his arms across his chest. "So, you guys alright with that or whatever?"

Light furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Then… you, Golbez, and Leon aren't following Kuja because you think he has your family hostage?"

Jecht burst out laughing. "You think I'd really be afraid this crybaby being kidnapped by Gay-Skirt-Man here? The worst he'd to do him is read sappy poetry all day."

"'Gay-Skirt-Man'?" Kuja quietly asked.

Zidane pulled Dagger behind him, wincing. "Um… guys, let's get out of here, alright?"

Maria ran past him. "Wait a minute! Where is Leon?"

Golbez, seeing Jecht and Kuja a little occupied at the moment, answered, "He's fighting the Emperor. We sent Bikke to help him, but-"

"Where is he?" Maria demanded, already getting her bow loaded and ready for action.

"At Palamecia Castle," Golbez told her.

Maria nodded her thanks to him and grabbed Firion's arm. "Light, Mage, we're going to help Leon!"

Firion gaped, trying to pull her back, but the archer was adamant about going. The weapons master turned to the two leaders with an apologetic smile. "We'll try and be back by nightfall. Shall we meet up at the Western Keep?"

Light shook his head. "If Kuja is offering us protection, we'll stay here tonight."

Everyone took note of what his actual meaning was: _We'll stay here so we can keep a closer eye on them._

The siblings nodded. "We'll back soon. Uh, and thanks for sending Bikke."

Kuja still didn't pay attention, in the middle of threatening Jecht with a plethora of spells. On his behalf Golbez took the thanks and replied, "It's the least we could do."

((((()))))

Leon slashed through a magic spell sent flying in his direction, jumping through the split magic circle with his sword aimed at the Emperor. Mateus only smirk and teleported across the room preparing more spells to send at him. His spell casting faltered as he heard a sharp cry of pain on the other side of the wall behind him.

With a sharp turn, but adversaries looked towards the door just in time to see Sephiroth fly through and crash into the ground. Bikke, wielding a giant scythe, sauntered in, faintly grinning. "Hello, Leon."

The dark knight noticed that whatever magic had been keeping his act up thus far was fading from how different his voice was. Unlike the rough, deep voice he had before, it was now his true voice- softer and eloquent, like it had been trained in royal speech. Bikke ran a hand through his hair, the touch turning it into a bleached white. "Ah, it seems wasting my magic on the likes of his rabble has caused my façade to break."

Bikke merely laughed and strode over to where Sephiroth was, scrabbling to his feet with a look of sheer malice in his bright mako eyes. The silver-haired SOLDIER stood, paying little mind to the deep injuries Bikke had inflicted, and reclaimed his katana.

Leon gritted his teeth, tearing his eyes away from them and redirecting his attention back to the Emperor, just as stunned as he had been. Taking his moment of vacillation of whether or not to fight back or help Sephiroth fight against _whoever this was_, Leon ran up to the Emperor and, with a cry, stabbed his sword through him.

Firion and Maria ran in just in time to see their brother shout out from the spell the Emperor pressed into him at the same time as he had stabbed him. Maria shot an arrow into Mateus's hand, making him recoil back instead of attacking Leon while he was down. Bikke turned ever so slightly to see them come to Leon's aid before turning back to a nearly defeated Sephiroth. "Shall this be your final stand, Sephiroth? You, who once thought yourself to be invincible… reduced to nothing at another's feet. This is your true defeat; knowing that you have been bested, that you now lay bleeding before someone else as countless others have done before _you_."

As Bikke's scythe slashed down, a black portal enveloped Sephiroth, pulling him away from the blow. Bikke growled out a curse under his breath and turned to where Maria, Firion, and Leon were now fighting against the Emperor. Bikke didn't bother to help them fight. Mateus was going to retreat soon anyway. Instead, he used his magic to conceal his hair and voice again, turning back into a flawless copy of Bikke, the pirate from Pravoka.

Just as he had expected, the Emperor teleported away using the same black portal that had rescued Sephiroth. Bikke's scythe disappeared back into a wisp of shadow that instantly dissipated. Leon, leaning heavily on Firion, turned to Bikke. "I didn't ask for your help," he growled.

Bikke laughed and replied, "Your welcome, kiddo. The rest of the guys are back at the tower, except Kefka. I think he's supposed to get rid of those three for us."

"'Three'?" Firion asked. "Who else was here?"

"Oh, right. You guys came in late, didn't you? Zemus and Sephiroth were out standing guard, so I took care of them," Bikke explained with a dark grin. "Now Kefka is going to finish them off and come back sometime later tonight."

((((()))))

The Warrior of Light and Luneth stood, or rather _sat_, on guard that night, despite Light's earlier words of letting Kuja and the rest take care of things. He had earlier lied that he was just paranoid, and Luneth wasn't ready to stop chattering on and on about his world.

With the onion knight busy talking Light's ear off, it was easy for Zidane to sneak off.

The thief wandered down the halls of the tower, his eyes already adjusting to the darkness well enough to see a little in front of him.

"Looking for me?"

Zidane turned his head to where Kuja's voice came from. "Yeah. I have a couple questions for you, actually."

Kuja conjured a flame, bringing light to the once shadowed corridor. "Then ask away, Brother."

((((()))))

"Where is Zidane and Dagger?" Kain asked the next morning, noticing the two gone.

Light palmed himself. "That monkey ran off last night, didn't he?"

"He's out doing me a favor. I told him to meet up with you all at the Western Keep. That's where you're going next, isn't it?" Kuja explained before the warriors could start panicking.

The Mage of Light scowled at the mage. "You sent him and Dagger off in the middle of the night without our consent?"

"Zidane came to me first, I'll have you know, and Dagger simply followed him. She is getting quite good at that," he mused.

"That's not the point!" Mage snapped. "Just what 'favor' did you ask of them, anyway?"

Kuja smirked. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough."

((((()))))

"I told you not to rush into battle like that!" Dagger chirped, healing Zidane's bleeding arm.

The thief pursed his lips. "I wanted to get the upper hand…."

"And so you ran up, tripped over a rock, and almost fell into lava."

"It's not my fault Tidus's world is a lava pit!"

"Well, of course that can't be helped! But don't just run off like that! What if I hadn't been there to catch you, hmm? You'd be a fried monkey right now!"

Zidane frowned and sulked forward as soon as Dagger's first aid was done. "Let's just hurry and get that stupid thing for Kuja, alright?"

Dagger crossed her arms with a "Hmph! Ignore me, will you?".

((((()))))

"I'M BACK~!" Kefka crowed, popping in and startling them all. "I apologize deeply for being late, all, but I have now arrived!"

Celes narrowed her eyes, drawing her sword. Gilgamesh caught her arm, yanking her back before she could run up and stab the clown to death. The Magitek knight turned her smoldering glare to the traveling knight. "Let. Go."

Terra nervously started, "Um, Celes, I think he's supposed to be on our side…."

"He destroyed everything we've ever loved!" she burst, trying to free her arm.

Gilgamesh didn't even seem to put up a fight, his grip too strong for her to peel away. "Darn it, Gil, _let me go_!"

Kefka floated up to knight, apparently having no regard for his own personal safety. "Little Celes has come to play?" he asked with a small giggle.

Kain put his javelin between the two. "Please don't provoke each other, you two." Kefka drew back, pouting. Celes continued to try and free herself from Gilgamesh to no avail.

Leon rolled his eyes, leaning back against a wall. "Let's get on with this, shall we? You guys have to go find the crystals, and then we'll get to together and fight Chaos."

"C-Chaos!" Lenna stuttered. "We're going to have to fight him!"

"How else do you expect to get home?" Leon pointed out. "You all need to worry about finding those crystals while we create enough chaos around here to draw him out so can all fight and defeat him."

Light suddenly gasped with realization. "That's why you made Seymour and Xande make it rain. It was to create chaos and confusion among us, wasn't it?"

Kefka nodded. "And even little Celes hating me is creating chaos to draw him out!"

"DON'T CALL ME 'LITTLE CELES'!" she shouted.

Bartz nodded slowly. "And that's why you killed Kadaj that day, too. You wouldn't let him in on the plan, because he wanted to kill Cloud, who'd help us all fight Chaos."

"Right," Jecht affirmed. "We killed off Xande for that reason too, and tried to kill Seymour, but-"

"The freako never _dies_?" Yuna offered with a scowl.

Jecht shrugged. "Technically, he's already dead, but someone didn't send him when she should have…."

Tidus snorted. "Told you so."

"_He would have killed you all_!" Yuna burst hotly.

"Like he wasn't going to right after you freaking _married_ him!" Tidus retorted.

"I did that for _you all_!" she pressed.

Jecht let out a groan. "Forget I mentioned it."

"And you mean to say that _Kuja _came up with this whole plan?" Squall asked in disbelief.

Annoyed, he snapped, "Of course I did!"

The SeeD nodded. "Sure you did. So, we've got to find the crystals, right?"

Golbez nodded. "Yes. I wish we could give you freebies, but the others have them respectively."

"I have the one Zemus had~!" Kefka sang, drawing forth Cecil and Kain's crystal. "Freebies!"

Cecil gingerly took it, eyeing the clown carefully. "Uh… thank you. This means… Zemus is dead as well?"

The clown cackled, floating around. "It sure does!"

Kain raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. Yuna drew her guns, looking at them appraisingly. "I really hope I get to shoot Seymour with these. Tidus, don't be a glory hog and let me get in a few shots, alright?"

The blitz star grinned evilly. "Of course. How chaotic'll be when Seymour's taken down by his _wife_."

Yuna glared at him. "I told you to never speak of that again."

Tidus let out a nervous laugh, looking down at the guns in her hands. "Uh… yeah. Never mentioning again."

"Good."

"Have you sent Zidane after his crystal, then?" Light asked as it occurred to him.

Kuja faintly grinned and shook his head. "No, I've sent my little brother to get something else for me. If he looks hard enough, he'll be able to find his crystal as well." He clapped his hands. "Now that we know what we've next to do, let's get to work, everyone."

The Light warriors turned to Light and Mage. Light nodded. "Split up into groups of two. Everyone remember that will be no knee-jerk reactions-" he said pointedly to Squall "-if something is amiss. Also, if someone acts differently, _do not assume it is Ultimecia_."

As they dispersed, Mage cocked her head. "Didn't Kuja tell Zidane and Dagger to meet up with us at the Western Keep?"

Light nodded. "We will head there and meet up with them, explaining the situation. I hope they'll be in one piece…."

"What do you mean by that?"

"In case you haven't noticed, those two are prone to being injured quite often seems like. You still remember your white mage spells, correct?"

Mage chuckled. "It's a good thing I came instead of the others, to say the least."

((((()))))

"Aha! Here it is, Dagger!"


	16. Hajimeru beginning

**Yes, this is a bit of a filler chapter. I'm so sorry about that, but… I have a bit of a problem. There is a HUGE part coming up, but I don't want to dive-bomb it on everyone right yet. So, if there's any little tid-bits of fluff/angst/whatever-else, PM me or leave the idea in a review, and I'll try and incorporate your idea in the story. There are a couple rules to this: **_**No one**_**, villains and heroes both, can die. Also, the canon pairings are still to remain the same. So I'm very sorry if some of you are simply **_**dying**_** to see, say, Terra and Zidane together. Dagger would likely kill them both, and I would die a little inside.**

**So, any good ideas, anyone?**

**Chapter 16- Hajimeru**

_There's no good or bad side. Just two sides holding different views._

((((()))))

"That reject creation of mine is planning to do _what_?" Garland demanded.

The Cloud of Darkness rolled her eyes at his outburst. "It's not like his petty scheme is going to come to fruition anyway, you know. Chaos will be too much for those little fools, and he'll destroy them all." She sighed and laid her cheek against the cool bricks of Garland's castle. "I really should be with Exdeath and Enuo. They're setting off a trap for Bartz and Lenna right now, and I'm supposed to be working on my own for Luneth and Arc."

Garland angrily rose from his throne. "Forget about your silly traps! That fool isn't just planning to bring out Chaos and try and defeat him- Kuja is going to-"

The old man's revelation was cut off as the Cloud of Darkness irritably cast a Silence spell on him.

She promenaded over to him, smiling ruefully. "You haven't realized you are a pawn of your own creation, are you? That everything you and Kefka have down together has been part of Kuja's master plan?"

Garland snarled a silent curse and used his telekinesis powers to throw the Cloud into a wall.

The Cloud glowered at the Time Lord, baring her teeth. Her faithful serpents shot out at him from her sides, constricting around him and suffocating him. She rose to her feet, glaring at him. "Never," she snarled, her crimson gaze fierce, "cross me again."

Her serpents finally released Garland, dropping him on the obsidian floor of his own throne room. Garland wheezed, trying to catch his breath again. The Cloud kicked him away from her and, with only another malicious look, disappeared into her conjured black portal.

((((()))))

"So, this Shuyin was the guy the Dream of the Fayth modeled me after?" Tidus asked incredulously. "And the guy's girlfriend looked _exactly_ like you?"

Yuna nodded. "Just about. He actually confused me with her a few times. You know, if you called me Lenne, I'm sure I'd probably respond," she ended with a chuckle.

Tidus whistled. "Well. That's not something you learn everyday."

Yuna giggled, taking hold of his hand. Tidus couldn't help but blush at this. Yuna was totally different than how he once knew her. But, honestly, he sort of liked this Yuna just as well. He grinned to her before letting go of her hand and taking off running. "Race you!" he called out, heading in Zanarkand's direction.

Who would have thought that those two especially would have went to such a place with a smile on their faces?

((((()))))

Zidane triumphantly turned to Dagger with a blinding grin. "See? Told you I could find it."

Dagger rolled her eyes, a betraying smirk tugging at her lips. "As if I ever had a doubt the 'Great Zidane' wouldn't find such a thing?"

His laughter was suddenly cut off. "Wait a minute- was that sarcasm I detected, coming from a _queen_?"

She didn't dare hide the smirk now. Zidane was officially riled up. This would be a fun walk back to the other warriors. "Maybe. Oh, whoops, I didn't say 'perhaps', did I?" Dagger laughed and spun on her heel, walking off from the scorched Light Warrior. "Let's go to the Western Keep, okay?"

Zidane ran to catch up to her, tossing the item in the air, and deftly catching it as it came back down. _What was Kuja wanting with a stupid _rock_? _he thought to himself. Then again, the man _could _out-do Kefka in terms of crazy if you really got under his skin, so Zidane didn't think on it too long. Whatever he wanted, he guessed.

((((()))))

Rinoa skipped at Squall's side, constantly pointing out familiar things at Balamb. If it wasn't that she was too cute to get mad at and that he loved her, Squall would have broken her finger. Of _course_ it was familiar, it came from their own world! Still, he kept a silent watch out for enemies while the sorceress entertained herself.

"Squall, are you listening to me?"

"Hn?" he asked, only noticing she was speaking to him by her constant prodding to his arm. "What?"

She flashed him a smile. "Oh, nothing. Just wanted to make sure you were still in touch with reality. You know, can get practically unresponsive if you think too hard about stuff and…."

Squall couldn't really help himself when he blocked her drabbles out again. Surely he wasn't as bad as she let on. Unresponsive? Only to whoever he was purposely trying to block out. Aside from that, Squall thought himself to only remain silent in most conversations.

Besides. It wasn't his fault everyone in Dissidia was so darn annoying.

((((()))))

Tifa hummed to herself, and Cloud was, predictably, silent.

She almost didn't catch it whenever he quietly asked, "How are Denzel and Marlene?"

"Oh? They're alright. When Cosmos came, I left them with Barrett. She had to explain to everyone that you _weren't _dead, and that she _wasn't _some new form of Jenova. I swear, Barrett can be so, you know, _Barrett_ sometimes," she said, sighing in relief that wasn't going to stay totally silent. Tifa hated to admit it, but she was glad whenever Cloud actually got out of his little emo shell and talked to someone for once.

It was long while before he finally decided to grace her with another sentence. "I'm glad they're all right, then."

And then, just as quickly as the small conversation had started, Cloud went silent again.

Tifa smiled, though it was small. Cloud either didn't notice, or pretended not to. "I'm glad that we're together again."

She took her turn at silence then, but not before she caught Cloud give a small nod. In Cloud-speak, Tifa knew that he meant, _Me too._

((((()))))

"I can't believe that monster is working with us!" Celes fumed as the three of them stomped towards Mobliz.

Gilgamesh and Terra let out simultaneous sigh. The Magitek Knight sure could seethe at something if it really irked her enough. Finally, Celes too let out a sigh. "Well… as long as he try to massacre anybody, and keeps _out of my bloody way_," she growled, "I'll try and put up with his stench."

Terra chuckled at her friend. They all stopped whenever Mobliz came into view. "Garland rigged this place, and Exdeath, Enuo, and the Cloud of Darkness were messing here, too?" she uncertainly asked.

Celes flashed her a worried look. "Terra, nothing is going to happen to you. I promise."

She gave a small, hesitant nod, and took both of their hands. Gil found it beyond awkward, but he figured that if it helped calm the half-esper's nerves, he'd go along with it.

Terra gave the town a strong look. "Let's go, everyone."

((((()))))

Bartz and Lenna were obviously the most cheerful of the Warriors, and being alone on a journey to the Wind Cave wasn't about to chance that. The song Rinoa had sung yesterday was stuck in Bartz's head, and it was starting to annoy him a bit. The same went for Lenna, who had Yuna's upbeat tune stuck on her mind.

Finally, both scowled out in front of them and declared, "I hate that song!"

They both burst into laugher. "Rinoa's grating one or Yuna's?"

"Both," Lenna miserably replied. "It's a good thing Dagger didn't listen to Zidane and start singing, too."

An interesting thought struck her mind. "What if we got Cloud to sing one day?"

Bartz's jaw dropped. "It's impossible," he shook his head, thoroughly shocked the princess had come up with such an absurd thought. "But it would be funny."

"Or maybe Squall would do a nicer job. Or Kain," she spitballed, glad they had started a conversation to keep the annoying songs off their minds.

Bartz grinned evilly. "Or how about Light?"

"Him and Mage could do a duet!"

"With Cloud, Squall, and Kain doing back-up!"

"Cecil breaks in and does a solo!"

"Terra blasts him off the stage with her esper powers and she, Celes, Gil, and Kefka join in!"

"Kuja does opera!"

And that was how their afternoon was spent.

((((()))))

Cecil suddenly stopped, his face twisting into his thoughtful/thinking expression.

Kain noticed, turning back to him. "What is it? An enemy?"

"…No, I just have the strangest feeling that someone is laughing at us…," Cecil said, slightly confused.

Luneth and Arc, who the two had opted to venture with since they'd likely find their crystal first, both shrugged. "It could be Kefka."

Luneth recoiled in disgust at the suggestion. "What if he's lurking nearby, ready to jump us?"

Cecil looked between the two kids and said aghast, "You have dirty minds."

Arc rolled his eyes. "Must've come from Desch."

The Onion Knight nodded solemnly. "Must have."

((((()))))

"We have to look for the Emperor again, I suppose," Firion frowned as they took a moment to look at the crudely drawn copy of a map Kefka had given them.

Leon pointed to Pandaemonium. "It couldn't surprise me if he ran to hide there, but that would be too obvious. Maybe he's hiding out somewhere with an ally?"

Maria's lips twitched into a half-smile. "Who would be stupid enough to be an ally with him?"

Her brother cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, you'd be surprised. Sephiroth and Zemus were with him, you know. And he and the Garland from Light and Mage's world seemed to be somewhat allies."

"Eh, Garland's sort of their leader. _Everyone _on Chaos's side is somewhat allied with him," Firion pointed out. "But what about the person who got Sephiroth out of the way before? It looked a little to be the Cloud of Darkness's work."

Leon slowly nodded. "Hmm…. Maybe. So, we should go check out the Cloud, then?"

Maria rolled up the map and tucked it in a satchel hanging at her side. "Let's get going, gentlemen."

Both rolled their eyes as Maria, keeping her giggle in check, started off.

((((()))))

"…and Tidus is almost as big a prankster as the rest, sometimes," Light explained. "But of course, Bartz is the worst."

"Worse than Akbar?" Mage dryly asked.

Light recoiled at the foul name. "That con artist could have given Thief a run for his money- though I doubt he'd ever let him get his grubby hands on a penny of it."

"'Why, of course this airship works!'" Mage quoted in a slightly accented voice. "'It's not at all a death trap going to fall apart in the middle of the air!' Gah, I hated him!"

"Hate? How unbefitting of a white mage. Besides, I thought that was all reserved for Black Mage."

Now Mage had recoil at the atrocity fit into one little man. "Oh, no, I do hate him. With every fiber of my being."

Light couldn't help but smirk. "I think he'd cry if you said that."

Mage pursed her lips. "As if he knows what emotion is! Honestly, however did he stick with us, the _Light_ Warriors, so long? I expected him to run off and leave us to join Chaos at some parts from the way he acted!"

"Don't say that about him," Light finally interjected. "I mean, _somewhere _under all of the cruelty and disregard to love, children, and anything at all good, he's got to have a bit of a heart. Otherwise he wouldn't have stayed with us."

This didn't seem to faze her in the slightest. Mage kept her mouth shut on the subject. With their luck, Bikke was probably going to turn out to be Black Mage, and he'd blast them into eternity with one of his beam attacks. What did he even call that, anyway? Hadoken, maybe?

The two stopped at the entrance of a run down fortress. "The Western Keep," Light murmured. "After you?"

Mage drew her sword and conjured a ball of fire in her hand in case the light went out further inside. "Well, let's find that crystal, Light."


	17. Koufuku Happiness

**I must apologize- Hajimeru _does _mean to begin. Stupid "About" website….**

**Anyway, since I threw in countless 8-bit Theatre references in the last chapter with Light and Mage, I couldn't resist quoting Red Mage from the epilogue of 8-bit. Ah, yes. What a good, brain-cell-destroying series that was…. Anyway, this is what I'll call a "crack chapter", because it someone progresses the story, and somewhat doesn't. I just don't like fillers, so I'm renaming it something else. This idea was given to me by Spark the Clairvoyant.**

**There's also a teenie tiny reference to one of my other fics on here, _Futago _(well, it's a bit referring to chapter four, which I'll have up soon for anyone reading that here) and an even smaller one to _Spotty at best_. Yeah, I'm a promoter. Almost like one of those annoying ads that pop up whenever you're at the best dang part in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, watching it on You Tube because you can't figure out what stupid channel it comes on and…. Ahem. Sorry for rambling.**

**I'm still open for ideas, people! REVIEW OR PM ME!**

Chapter 17- Koufuku

_It's having the adventure that's important, not who knows about it._

((((()))))

"Hey, guys!"

Terra, annoyed that Zidane and Dagger's sudden arrival had just ruined a good, strong moment for her, turned around. Still, she just couldn't stay mad at her friends like that. "Guys!" she cried. "You're back! I was so worried when you suddenly disappeared like that-"

Zidane nervously scratched the back of his head. "Well, about that…. Um, let's just blame it on Kuja, alright?"

Dagger rolled her eyes. "Zidane had to be stupid and reckless, as usual. I swear, you're such an adrenaline junkie!"

"I am not," he snapped, rounding on her. "Just what kind of reckless things have I done?"

"Kidnapping a princess," she easily started, "hijacking a cargo airship, infiltrating a black-mage creating factory, joining the Festival of the Hunt unprepared and on a whim-"

"Everyone in Lindblum does that annually. Me and Tantalus used to do it every year too, you know."

She continued, ignoring him and the very confused Terra, Celes, and Gilgamesh. "Jumping up and stabbing Gizamaluke like that (Freya told me everything, too!), jumping into battle with Beatrix and getting your butt kicked, getting _me_ to ride the Gargant, and let's not forget about rushing into that fight with Amarant and Lani at Madain Sari!"

Zidane sighed. "Okay, okay, so I have done _a few_ reckless things in my lifetime, but-"

Dagger narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not even half finished yet, monkey boy." She cleared her throat and started again. "What about the whole Daguerro fiasco!" Zidane openly winced, admitting to that one. "How about the time when you jumped that one guy in Treno when you heard from Amarant that he tried to kidnap Eiko?"

Gilgamesh's eyes went wide. "THEN IT IS YOU!"

Zidane gaped, turning to the warrior. "Y-you're the four-armed man back in Treno! I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! You're Alley-way Jack! You nasty little jerk, trying to hurt Eiko like that!"

He nervously backed up from the blonde. "I-it wasn't my fault, I just, um…. I wanted to get under Amarant's skin, alright? Not my fault she was the closest thing I saw that he might actually care about! Besides, she bit my hand! What if that little summoner had rabies? What then!"

"Heya, guys!"

They temporarily stopped their arguing to see Bartz and Lenna sprinting towards them. "Hello, Bartz," Gilgamesh said, happy to have his attention adverted from the steaming Zidane. He left the genome in Dagger's care and turned to his once-arch rival. "Have you and Lenna found any luck in finding your crystal?"

"Nope," Lenna giggled, "but we did discover that you all would look good doing a can-can line."

As the two burst into hysterical laughter, the three from Terra's world shrugged.

Bartz finally calmed himself, keeping the silly smirk on his face. "So, we've all come to terms that you know us all?"

Gil nodded. "Yeah. Working with Exdeath…? I don't think I'd ever do again."

Bartz solemnly nodded and patted the warrior's shoulder. "And that's why you'll always be part of us."

Terra and Celes looked like they could have said something to that, but they thought it was best to quiet, instead asking Lenna just what she meant with the can-can line.

Zidane suddenly looked up, bursting, "We've got to find Squall!"

Gil nodded. "That's right! I know him, too. I gave him a summon of me to help him fight with. Maybe he still remembers me?"

Celes cocked her head the crowd forming. "I think it may be a while before we go find our crystal."

Terra frowned. "Yes. Um…."

"We should go find it ourselves?"

The half-esper nodded. Celes grinned and spun on her heel to the decrepit town. "Let's go, Terra!"

Another thought occurred to Zidane. "I just noticed that Terra's name is the same as the Terra were I come from…. Maybe that's symbolic of something?"

Dagger growled something under her breath, but Zidane didn't catch all of it. There was something about, "Stupid monkey-tailed skirt chaser", but he wasn't sure.

To assure her she was his number one, Zidane gave her a crushing hug. "You know that I love _you_, right, Dag? I was just meaning the Terra's sort of a sister, you know? Like Freya."

She couldn't help but smile a little, peeling him off of her. "Yeah, yeah."

Lenna was in the middle of shining Gil's armor when the two turned back to their company, Bartz asking him what his last name was. Since it was odd that they all were on a full-name basis on the Dissidia Squad (Zidane snickered at their nickname while Dagger groaned and shook her head), he had to know his last name, too.

Gilgamesh fidgeted in place, embarrassed by his name. This only made Bartz him more about it. Sighing, Gil finally admitted, "My name is Gilgamesh Wulfenbach." He looked up to the blue sky and muttered, "I miss you, Agatha…."

"Huh?" Lenna asked, peeking a look up to the sky as well.

The warrior waved it off. "Gilgamesh Wulfenbach. Happy now, everyone?" He frowned at the sound of a snort behind him. Grimly and slowly turning around, Gil saw Zidane quickly cover his mouth to hide the wide, mocking smile and to try and keep in the laughter waiting to be flooded out. "I used to have a respectable thing going on it Treno, kid. Don't push it."

"I'm the King of Treno's brother. Top that," he retorted.

Gilgamesh's eyes widened. "Then… the rumors were true? Kuja is the King of Treno?"

Zidane nodded. "Yep. Soak it in, Gil. That's only way you'll ever get any of my awesomeness."

"I wouldn't do that," Dagger advised him. "You might get some of his reckless stupidity as well."

The two resumed their argument.

Bartz and Lenna butted into the fight just a moment to say they were going on to the Wind Cave to hurry and find their crystal, that they were going to throw a karaoke party whenever they got back.

Dagger promised under her breath to avoid those two like the plague from now on. Putting on a sheepish grin, Zidane remarked, "I bet you could blow them away with _Melodies of Life_."

He came face-to-face with her stubborn side. Zidane immediately knew he was trying to fight a losing battle. With a shrug, he left it at that.

The two then followed Bartz and Lenna's example, deciding to spend the rest of the day in search of their crystal.

"I guess that's our cue, ladies!" Gil said turning to face Terra and Celes. All he saw was a devastated town. Eyes wide and disappointment evident on his face, Gilgamesh Wulfenbach muttered, "You guys could have told me they left earlier."

"Geez," Gil thought aloud, clawing through wreckage and debris from Mobliz, "it's because I'm not blonde, isn't it? I'm just not 'innocent and perfectly good' like Terra and Celes, and they decide to leave without me. What's to say I'm not a good guy, too? The whole Exdeath thing? Being Alleyway Jack? I feel so alone…."

"Don't we all, Gilgamesh?"

He starting to run, but it was too late. The black mass caught up with him and swallowed him whole, teleporting him to someplace else in Dissidia.

Slightly smirking, the Cloud of Darkness purred, "And then there were two."

**Yes, yes. A cliffy. I know. Hate me all you want, but it was begging to be done. Also, a little warning: after a few of these crack chapters, there will be a lot less fluff, and a LOT more angst and overall parts inducing gasps on your behalf with a couple "NOOOOO!" parts mixed in. Please R&R. (And kill me for making two insanely long and mostly useless author's notes.)**


	18. Shouri victory

**Many thanks to ChaoCream for this idea- it's actually pretty lively! For you all who have been wanting some action, here it is! I give you… THE EPIC REMATCH BETWEEN RIVALS/FRIENDS! But I'd like to apologize in advance if it seems sort of choppy. I'm not too good at writing full-out battle scenes. Sorry. But I'll do my best! REMEMBER THAT THE CRACK CHAPTERS ONLY LAST UNTIL CHAPTER TWENTY! PLEASE GIVE IDEAS!**

**This lovely opening quote is by Riza, from FMA.**

**Also, during this chapter, may I suggest listening to **_**Parallel Hearts**_**, by FictionJunction? It's the opening theme to Pandora Hearts (an AWESOME anime, by the way) and it needs its ten minutes of fame.**

**Please R&R everybody!**

**Chapter 18- Shouri**

_Is it all right to believe in a future where everyone can live in happiness?_

((((()))))

"Hey, guys, I think I found something!"

Luneth, Cecil, and Kain turned to Arc, on his knees pulling on a loose brick in the tower's room. Luneth crouched down next to him, peeking through the hole. "Hey, it looks like there's a room behind there!"

"Think that's where our crystal is?" Arc asked excitedly. He and Luneth continued pulling out the other bricks. When they had freed as many as were able to come loose, Luneth frowned and turned back to the paladin and dragoon. "It looks like its only big enough for us to fit through. Are you guys going to stay here, or…?"

Kain shook his head. "No use staying here without a purpose," he said.

Cecil nodded in agreement. "We'll meet up with later, then, you two."

The two crawled through, whooping and rushing off down a new hallway. "Sort of reminds you of Palom and Porom, don't they," Cecil mused with a grin.

"I suppose. Just so long as they aren't as annoying."

"Oh, lighten up."

Kain turned to him with a strange look. Cecil was frowning. He explained. "They're the youngest here, you know. And they're away from everyone they know. Heck, Bartz, Lenna, Zidane, and Dagger are still kids, too. They're only fifteen, maybe sixteen?"

"Your point?" Kain blandly asked.

He ignored the sarcastic attitude and said, "Well, since they're kids, they're going to down about being away from home. Being so… _offhanded _isn't really helping."

"But," Kain pointed out, "they've all got to grow up sometime. Maybe that time is supposed to be here in Dissidia. They can't remain children forever."

Now Kain frowned, and was silent for a long while as the two made their way down the many dark corridors they had just passed with Luneth and Arc. The dragoon once again drew his javelin, twirling it in his hand exasperatedly. Finally, as they reached the entrance of the tower, he rounded on Cecil, his javelin coming to a stop in his hand. "Do you really know what would help right now, Cecil?"

Eyes wide at seeing him get into a fighting stance, Cecil quickly drew his sword. "Kain, what are you doing?"

"A rematch," he answered, jumping up high.

Cecil barely had time to sidestep his spear. "No- st-stop! Kain!"

He jabbed the spear forward, nicking the edge of Cecil's cape. "Consider this training then, if you do not wish for a battle!" Kain kicked off from the tower's wall and stabbed the javelin at him. Cecil blocked the hit with his sword just in time, the bladed end right at his nose. Kain smirked. "You've gotten slower, Cecil. Have those 'children' softened you up in the ways of battle?"

Cecil ducked as Kain's spear swung overhead. He swung out his leg, trying to trip him. Kain jumped up and aimed his spear downward again, slashing Cecil's arm.

Wincing from gash, Cecil staggered back a moment, giving Kain the perfect chance to knock him back against the tower. Javelin at his neck, Kain shook his head in shame. "Less than five minutes to have you bested, Cecil. You have lost your old fighting spirit."

"Oh, do I?"

Cecil jumped to the side, knocking the javelin away with the hilt of his sword. He let out a barrage of slashes at the now disarmed dragoon, a faint smirk on his face. Kain jumped over him and reclaimed his spear, pointing it back at him. "Better," he congratulated.

"But I've I yet to show you the best."

They clashed weapons, jumping back to avoid attacks, and then rushing forward to get in another fierce attack.

This went on for what felt like hours, but neither warrior slowed in the least. Cecil's cape was nearly in shreds, and Kain's armor had even more dents and scratches than before. When the two were once again at a standstill, sword and spear crossed, Cecil grinned and asked, "Is this more to your standards of fighting, Kain?"

"Perhaps," he easily responded. "But I'm sure, if we had more time, we could really decide that."

They broke apart and pointed their weapons at each other. Kain finally lowered his javelin and strapped it on his back. Cecil, seeing that the fight was over, sheathed his sword. "I promised Rosa that I couldn't return to Baron until I had repented for what I did before." The dragoon crossed his arms and turned away from Cecil, looking out at the darkening horizon.

"So you fought me?" Cecil asked, confused.

He shook his head. "I did that only to get it off my mind for a while. But now I suppose I have to start thinking on how to do that again. Taking revenge isn't ever going to help me, but rather pull me in deeper. Apologizing wouldn't suffice, either."

Cecil leaned up against the tower, thinking hard about what he had just said. "You're right, I guess. And that makes it all the more harder."

"Rosa hates me for what I've done."

Cecil frowned, looking to the ground. She would never admit it to either of them, he knew, and she'd be kind to Kain if only for his sake, but they both knew it to be true. "…I know. And I apologize, for that."

Kain scowled at him. "You've no reason to."

He shrugged. "Maybe not, but I'll do it anyway." Cecil peeked inside the tower. "I hope those two haven't run into any trouble."

((((()))))

"I'M STUCK! GET OVER HERE, ARC!"

"But the floor will cave through!"

Luneth let out a screech and started clawing at the tiled floor, trying to pull himself away from the hole in the floor that had broken through when he stepped on it. "Get me OUUUUUUT!"

((((()))))

Kain shook his head. "No, I'm sure they're fine."

Cecil let out a sigh of relief and started off. "Let's go find the others, then. Maybe they have already found their crystals."

As the left the tower, a faint screech was heard on the wind: "NO! THE ROPE! THE ROOOOOPE!"


	19. Don'yaku greed

**Okay, so I said I wouldn't get on with the story until chapter 20. Well, I'm just too impatient. So here is your **_**very **_**revealing chapter that I so wanted to hold back for dramatic purposes.**

**The quote for this chapter is nothing short of clever: it is by Greed (from FMA:B), which totally fits what Don'yoku means: Greed. Very nice, no?**

…**Anyway, please R&R this lovely chapter, just for all of you who wanted to get back to the plot. (And let's pretend that the warriors have all successfully found their crystals.)**

**Also, just because of all the 8-Bit references, Light, Mage, Thief, Black Mage, and Red Mage are not the same characters. They're just really similar, since I think they'd make the best bunch of characters. Their real personalities are going to be explained later (hint hint), as well as their back stories. So hang tight, alright?**

**Chapter 19- Don'yoku**

_There is no such thing as no such thing._

((((()))))

"Is it almost done?"

"I believe so. All that I need now is that stone from Zidane, and it'll be ready."

Jecht scoffed and crossed his arms. "Is this thing even going to work?"

Kuja irritably looked away from the staff and snapped, "Of course it will! Besides, having those crystals will serve as a backup along with a power source if it fails."

Bikke laughed as he pointed out, "You're starting to look like Garland- hunched over some stupid contraption." He smirked and quickly jumped back to avoid the chuck of brick Kuja threw at him.

The four of them couldn't help but flinch in surprise as Terra and Celes let out a sharp scream behind them.

The stunned two ceased their screaming when they realized it was only the somewhat-possibly-still-evil guys. "Oh… sorry," Terra apologized, giving them a nervous smile.

Celes sighed in relief. "We thought you all were another illusion." She suddenly blinked and slowly gaped. "…B-Bikke…?"

He ran a hand through his bright silver hair. He had quickly grown tired of parading around as Bikke, and had decided to finally reveal himself.

"Actually, my name is Astos."

((((()))))

Cecil and Kain stopped once they made it to the Rift, hearing a cacophony of arguing voices. Putting his finger unnecessarily to his lips, Cecil waved for Kain to follow. He leaned against the wall and listened in.

"…told you to leave this all to me! You grabbed the wrong one!"

_Exdeath_, Cecil thought.

Growling, the person next to him shouted, "The rest of them had already gone! Regardless of it being Gilgamesh, the Light Warriors will come anyway!"

The Cloud of Darkness snarled as a bright light flashed before the two hidden warriors- Exdeath must have started a fight. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. Or maybe someone had teleported in.

"Where is he?"

"Where is who?" Enuo asked, having been with the two during their argument.

"That darned failure of mine! Where is Kuja!" Garland burst.

Out of the corner of Kain's eye, he saw something duck behind a tower. He tapped on Cecil's armor, pointing to the figure. The two could see the barest bit of yellow on the ground. A shoe, maybe? Cecil's eyes went wide with realization. _Tidus?_

The blitz player turned the barest bit to give them a grim shake of his head, nodding towards the Chaos warriors. He mouthed, "They've got Gil."

"Gilgamesh?" Cecil mouthed back. "Wasn't he supposed to be with Terra and Celes?"

Tidus shrugged, ducking back behind the wall. Kain and Cecil exchanged fearful glances. If they had kidnapped Gil, what about Terra and Celes?

Tidus reappeared with Yuna. "We're going to ambush them," he silently informed them. "You guys will them take them from the west, we'll get them from this side."

Eyes wide at the two running in, Cecil shouted, "Tidus, no!"

((((()))))

"A-Astos!" Terra burst. "But, why were you dressed up as Bikke? A-and, why are you working with Kuja? Aren't you one of Light and Mage's archenemies?"

He quieted her down. "I'm doing this for revenge on Garland and Chaos- they killed my son, Drizz'l."

Terra and Celes didn't know what was more confusing- the fact that Bikke was Astos all along, or the fact that Astos had a son named Drizz'l. "…What?" Celes dumbly asked.

The dark elf sighed. "When I wasn't able to keep the Orb of Earth from the light warriors, Garland punished me by killing my son."

"Didn't they kill you?" Celes asked, still hopelessly confused about all of this.

"They almost killed me," Astos replied, "but not quite. I'm surprised, however, that Thief didn't finish me off, being an elf himself."

"Thief was an elf?" Terra exclaimed. "But Light told us-"

Astos continued. "He must have lied. Black Mage was also a rogue taking up the job for money. Thief only wanted to enact revenge upon me and the other dark elves, stealing money along the way to help the Elf Prince I poisoned so he could get more status in Elfland. Red Mage was only in for the money as well, until he came up with the stupid idea of rebuilding the Sect of Red Mages with their help. Black Belt was hired to be White Mage's- you know her just as 'Mage', now- body guard, because she was some traveling priestess intent on making sure the other warriors actually did their jobs. And Fighter… heh, I've never seen a warrior more childish than him. He was just a traveling vagabond who decided to join them in Corneria. Always playing the stupid one, always sure to get on everyone's nerves- really, all he was there for was to master his fighting style. I guess when Garland came close to killing them all, he finally grew up a little."

The two girls, along with Golbez, Jecht, and Kuja, were silent with this new revelation. The light warriors… they were nothing like how Light and Mage made them out to be. Light had told them all that they were courageous soldiers for the Light, fighting valiantly against Garland and Chaos. To hear this, now….

Terra numbly shook her head. "That's a lie."

"It's not, I'm afraid."

She dazedly sat down amongst the rubble of Mobliz. "It can't be… Light wouldn't have lied to us…." She finally understood why he chose to keep apart from the rest of Cosmos's chosen ones. He was afraid that they'd learn that he had lied. All along, he had built up a façade to make himself seem like someone invincible, when in truth he was just a vagabond caught up with a motley group taking on the job of fighting evil. Light… was never the man he had made them all think. Terra shook her head again, putting her face in her hands. She mumbled again, "It just can't be true."

"Light would never do that to us."

((((()))))

"Tidus, no!"

Exdeath, Enuo, The Cloud, and Garland turned to see four Light Warriors rushing towards them. Before Tidus could reach Gilgamesh, he and the Cloud of Darkness teleported away. He grunted out a curse and drew his sword. "What are you guys planning to do with Gilgamesh?" he demanded.

"We'll kill him, of course. Not only is he useless, but he's also a traitor," Exdeath said. "And just like those fools out to trick Chaos, we will send anyone who apposes us to the Void!"

Tidus and Yuna jumped out of the way of his magic blast as Kain jumped over head to stab them. Cecil changed into a dark knight and jabbed at them with his lance at the same time.

Garland used kinesis to through the four warriors against the wall of the Rift's towers. "We don't have time for fighting these children. We've more pressing matters to attend to, like destroying my two genomes."

Sighing with frustrated annoyance, Enuo asked, "And why is that just so important?"

"Zidane is bringing Kuja a magic stone created by Cosmos that will draw out Chaos. If he gets that stone to him, we will only have a few minutes to wipe them all out at once before Chaos obliterates everything! Forget about that stupid knight and these little warriors; we must stop those two!" he shouted.

The two warlocks teleported away. Garland turned to the four. "Report back to Kuja and tell him that the life he so values will be shortly taken." Then he too teleported away.

As soon as Garland left, his spell released them all. Cecil reverted back into a paladin, drawing his sword. "Tidus, Yuna, hurry and tell Kuja and my brother what has happened. Kain and I will go find Light and Mage."

They nodded and took off running.

((((()))))

"Fighter…."

Light stopped at hearing his old name. He turned to see the Mage of Light with Red Mage's hat in her hand. "What is it?"

She looked to the dusty ground of the Western Keep before asking, "Why have you lied to them?"

He leaned against the dirt wall and sighed. "Cosmos declared me their leader. Who wants a scatter-brained vagabond as a leader?"

"They certainly don't want a liar as their leader, either," she pressed, walking in front of him. "Look at me!" she snapped, when he turned away, unable to meet her emerald eyes. "Listen, Fighter, we're almost at the end. After we get our crystals, we'll have the final battle with Chaos, and we'll go back home. Neither of us will ever see any of them again. Don't you want to tell them the truth before we separate forever?"

"But they-"

"No buts! They're your friends, aren't they?" Mage continued. "Do you remember when we mistook Zidane for an imposter? He said that the only reason he knew it wasn't you was that you wouldn't separate the warriors intentionally on their own so they wouldn't get in trouble. Squall told me about the time when you fought him to knock some sense into him. He has a lot of respect for you, you know. Luneth looks up to you as a big brother. Didn't you realize that when he sat guard with you back at the Tower?"

She waved her arms. "But of course you didn't, because you're too stubborn to notice anyone but yourself! Did you know that even Black Mage missed you?"

Light had to look up at that. "_What_?"

Mage nodded. "After we fought Chaos, the first thing out of his mouth was, 'Where is that stupid Fighter?'. Then he went on to say later, 'Fighter had better not be dead.'"

"Did he include something about how _he _was the one who was supposed to kill me?"

"…That's not the point."

"That's what I thought."

She sighed again, leaning on the wall beside him. "Fighter… I'm worried about them. Zidane has almost died once, as has Dagger. What if someone else gets hurt like that, and we aren't able to save them? What if someone _dies_?"

Light frowned. "Of course that's always a possibility, but…."

"Even so, you're content with letting them die not knowing the real you?"

"Who said anyone was going to die, White Mage?" he finally burst, making her flinch. "I'm not going to let anyone die! Not you, not me, not anyone else here in Dissidia! There is no reason for them to know anything about me, so long as I keep them safe! That's why Cosmos brought me here- that's why we've _both_ been sent here!"

Mage forced her face to go calm, hiding her shaking hands behind her back. "Alright, then. I just thought they deserved that much, is all."

"It's not something to 'deserve', White Mage. Nor is it something to earn. I'm not going to tell them how truly worthless I am. That would only make it harder to protect them, once they know I'm a fake."

He stormed off towards the exit of the Keep, fist clenched tight around the long, thin crystal.

Mage shook her head and softly said, "But you're not a fake, Fighter. You really are the Warrior of Light now."


	20. Shinrai trust

**Spark the Clairvoyant, here is Kuja's redeeming moment. I told you it would happen.**

**This quote, which is the best part of FFXII's ending, is from Balthier. Watch out everyone, because it actually fits in very well with this chapter. And ooh, I am so glad I've finally got to this chapter. The first flashback, everyone! **_**The first flashback!**_** Ahem. Sorry.**

**Please R&R.**

**Chapter 20- Shinrai**

_You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies._

((((()))))

Dagger held the yellow translucent crystal in her hands, her mind full of memories. Kuja had once tried to destroy all existence by shattering this very thing. How precious it seemed to her, sitting in her soft palms. It seemed so fragile for something with such power….

"Hey, Dagger," Zidane started, breaking her thoughts away from the crystal.

"Yeah?" she asked, carefully pocketing it in the brown satchel at her side. She was surprised to see him staring at the dark stone in his hands, much like she had been doing to the crystal. "Is something wrong?"

He slowly shook his head. "I just don't know why Kuja wants this thing so bad. It's killing me, not knowing."

"Well, if it counts for anything, I still want to know what you and Kuja were talking about back at the Tower of Owen."

Zidane stopped in mid-stride. She stopped too, her oh-no-I-hit-a-bad-subject-with-him senses going off in her head. "Um… sorry, if you don't want to talk about it." She wondered if had to do anything with what happened back at the Iifa tree.

He only shrugged and started back walking towards Mobliz. When Kuja, Golbez, Bikke, Jecht, and Kefka hadn't been at the Tower of Owen, they had moved on toward Mobliz, where Terra, Celes, and Gilgamesh hopefully were.

They broke into a run as soon as two screams filled the air. When they abruptly stopped, Zidane swore and ran faster, Dagger struggling to keep up with him. Those screams had to have come from Terra and Celes. What kind of trouble were they in now?

Zidane skidded to a stop as he saw the two, Kuja, and some guy with silver hair and dark skin. He had pointed ears and wore clothes fit for a noble back in Alexandria. Terra sat in the rubble, her face in her hands. "It can't be… Light wouldn't have lied to us." She miserably shook her head. "It just can't be true."

"Light would never do that," Zidane said, startling them. "What are you talking about- something about Light lying to us? There's no way."

Astos frowned. "Actually, the Warrior of Light you all know is nothing but-"

Terra cut him off. "Don't. Let Light tell him, alright? It's already bad enough we know."

Being in the dark about _anything _irritated Zidane to no end. Still, if it was bad enough to shock them into silence and to reduce Terra to tears, Zidane wasn't sure if he wanted to know. Celes silently handed their crystal over to Kuja, who stood with some sort of staff. Dagger finally arrived, trying to catch her breath. "Oh, don't do that to me, Zidane! I almost dropped the crystal running so hard!"

She seemed oblivious to the mood- or rather, she ignored what was going on. After everything that had already happened, Dagger just couldn't take anymore drama any time soon. She cleared her throat. "Um, here's the crystal, Kuja."

He just stared her. Then broke into a shaky laugh. "Don't you realize what you just said?"

"I do," she growled, instantly silencing him, and making Zidane take a fearful step away from the queen, "now take the stupid crystal before I-"

"O-kay," Zidane quickly broke in, putting a hand over her mouth. "Let's keep the profanity to a minimum, okay, dear?"

Dagger ripped his away. "Don't you 'okay, dear?' me, Zidane Tribal!"

"Wh-what did I do!" he burst, backing away.

She simply growled and grabbed his shoulder, actually managing to make him wince. "Not. A. Word."

"Yes, ma'am," Kuja answered.

Dagger released Zidane's shoulder, staring at her in shock. "You abuse me to make Kuja apologize! That is cruel beyond measure!"

"Can it, Monkey-Boy!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Jecht whistled. "Boy, has she got you trained, Tribal."

Miserably rubbing his shoulder, he said, "Don't start, oldie-locks."

The former blitz star gaped. Golbez burst out laughing. "Good job, Zidane!"

He gave a theatrical bow worthy of his many years with Tantalus. "Naturally, my good friend."

"EVERYONE!"

Zidane leaned up and turned to see Yuna and Tidus running in. "Everyone," the gunner gasped, her hands on her knees, "Exdeath, Enuo, the Cloud of Darkness, and Garland have Gilgamesh captive. We… we have to get him back! Cecil and Kain went to find Light and Mage."

"They kidnapped Gilgamesh?" Terra gasped, eyes filling with new tears. "We thought he had just left with Bartz and Lenna!"

Tidus gaped. "No, the Cloud of Darkness somehow got him! Us, Cecil, and Kain just had a fight with them, but they teleported out before we could do any real damage."

Zidane frowned, spinning his daggers. "We've gotta go after him," he unnecessarily pointed out. "Who knows what they're going to do to him for betraying them?"

"Um…. Send him off to the Void?" Tidus said.

"Probably. Hey, what is the Void, anyway?" Yuna asked.

They all shrugged.

Kuja stuck the dark stone on top of the staff. "Done. Now, let's go get Gilgamesh and bring out Chaos."

Dagger was surprised to see him rise to action so willingly. "You mean, you don't think it'd be easier to leave him behind?"

Kuja gave her a strange look. "Why would I think that? He is one of your comrades, isn't he? If we're going to work together, we certainly can't leave him behind."

The queen gaped at this. "Y-you…. B-but…. Huh?"

He rolled his eyes at her lost, confused face and waved for them to follow. "We can meet up with the others and get their crystals on the way. Let's go, everyone. Astos, go catch up with Light and Mage, and inform them of what has happened."

The dark elf nodded and went off.

"Hey, hey," Zidane called, rushing up to him. "Can't you just teleport us to where he is?"

"Do you know his exact location?"

Zidane turned hopefully to Tidus and Yuna, who regretfully shook their heads. The thief sighed. "We're going to have to walk all the way? Geez, and I haven't even slept in, like, a whole twenty-four hours. I don't like all of this errand and rescue-mission business!"

Dagger realized the two of them really _hadn't_ slept in a day. Where had all of this energy came from, then?

Kuja blinked at his bother. "Um… then you two come join us later."

Dagger again gaped. "Whaaaat?" she burst. "How the…. Why…. Huh?"

"Doing that repeatedly is starting become disturbing, your Majesty," Kuja said, cocking an eyebrow.

Her mouth shut and eyes narrowed. She jabbed a finger at him and growled, "Don't you _dare _call me by that title. You have no right! It's your fault I'm the queen anyway!"

His face paled, somewhat satisfying her for now. "Hmph! Let's go, Zidane."

"Huh? I thought we were going to sleep…."

"Gilgamesh first," she replied stonily. "And I don't trust that stupid brother of yours for a second."

Zidane groaned, allowing himself to be dragged along by Dagger. "You're all tight because we're with Kuja? Oh, lighten up, Dagger!"

She only growled in response and shot Kuja another dark glare. The others were far behind, deciding to keep as far away as possible.

((((()))))

Hours later, they finally arrived at the World of Darkness. Broken pillars instantly tipped them off that there had been a fight- and a nasty one, at that. Golbez frowned behind his helmet at the scene. "These have been felled by magic and weapons both. The Cloud and Gilgamesh?"

A shout from further ahead answered that question. "Luneth!" Terra gasped. She drew her thin rapier and rushed forward.

Kuja sent out magic orbs to break down the rest of the few remaining pillars still intact. He snarled as Garland, fighting Luneth and Arc, came into view.

Garland easily swatted the two away with his kinesis and turned to the newest arrivals in his game. "I see we've drawn you in at last, Kuja. You have done a good job at hiding from me thus far."

"I am not the coward you make me out to be," he spat, summoning more magic orbs. With a cry, he sent them flying at him.

Terra, meanwhile, grabbed the two boys and led them off. Luneth had a steadily bleeding gash on his arm, and Arc looked as if he would have a black eye by tomorrow. "What happened to you two?" she asked once they were far enough from the battle. Celes and the others were now trying their best not be knocked around by Garland. Terra quickly cast a spell to patch up Luneth's arm.

The boy numbly shook his head. "We were walking through here to get to the Western Keep, but Garland came out and attacked us out of no where. We were caught off guard."

The half-esper bit her lip at the boy's dazed expression. "Are you okay, Luneth?"

"…I'm just really… tired…."

Arc and Terra caught him as he fell. As Terra desperately tried to keep calm, Arc hastily leaned his friend up against half of a pillar. "Is he going to be okay, Terra?" he asked in a quiet voice.

She let out a shaky nod. "Of course." _What a pitiful lie!_ she inwardly fussed.

Arc only drew up his knees and turned back to the fight to see Tidus and Jecht narrowly avoid the chunk of pillar tossed at them. "Terra… you go and help them fight. I'll stay here with him."

Terra gave him a look before standing. He seemed just as out of it as Luneth, and she definitely didn't want to leave either of them unprotected. "I'll stay here," she decided. "You get some rest, too, Arc. Both of you must have fought very hard."

The black mage was asleep almost instantly.

She fearfully turned back to the fight. Dagger had resorted to summoning eidolons- Carbuncle overhead had cast a barrier over the warriors while she constantly healed them whenever a stray sharp rock slashed out at someone.

Zidane and Tidus seemed to every where at once, running around Garland to try and find an open spot to attack, jumping away at the last moment before he retaliated by casting some kind of magic at them. Yuna and Jecht seemed to be just a step behind Zidane and Tidus's erratic movement, still fast, but concentrating on defending their two mages and summoner. Celes was basically on her own, working as a distraction for the two boys to get their attacks in.

It was obvious Garland was getting tired, but so were they. Fatigue was starting to catch up with Dagger and Zidane, whom were both getting slower, and thus were getting hit more. Golbez and Kuja were quickly running out of magic, the latter having only that to really attack with. Jecht, Yuna, and Tidus were still going strong, however, as was Celes. Terra knew she couldn't do much while watching over the boys, since Garland was too far out of range for any of her spells, so she bowed her head and prayed with all her might that they'd be okay.

A cry ripped her away from her prayer.

Zidane clawed at his throat, trying to pry away some invisible pair of hands. Kuja threw a flare spell at Garland, making him drop his hold on the genome. Zidane collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath and breathlessly thanking him. Dagger finally called off Carbuncle and rushed over to Zidane.

Things went downhill from there.

Golbez and Jecht were cornered up against two pillars with another flying straight at them both. Yuna tackled into them, pushing them away. It hit her in the back, causing her to scream. Tidus's eyes went wide and he started for her, but Garland's face put on a malicious grin as he tossed out a flare spell much like the one Kuja had thrown at him just seconds ago. The blitz ball star crashed into Celes.

Neither got up. Terra moved to back them up, but something snagged on her leg, causing her to trip. In terror, she turned to see the Emperor smirking at her, one of his trapms having stopped her. He knelt down and wrapped his hand around her mouth, cutting off her scream. "Shh, quiet now. Let's not wake up the children."

She turned her wild gaze upon the two boys covered in magic traps. The instant they woke up, they'd be bombarded. When had that happened? Why didn't Terra hear him sneak up on her?

"Enjoy the show," Mateus laughed.

Terra watched helplessly as Garland advanced on Dagger and Zidane, both staring up at him with a fearful expression. He cast holy on them.

Despite Mateus's hand cutting off her screams, she screamed anyway, clamping her eyes shut. Both were surprised to hear no screams

Terra looked up through tear-filled eyes to see a blurry white and purple blob standing in front of a teal blob and an orange blob. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and looked back just in time to see Kuja fall to the ground. Terra finally ripped the Emperor's hand away. "Kuja!" she screamed. "No!"

Zidane jumped to his feet and ran to stab Garland, but he harmlessly threw him into a pillar. Garland easily did the same to Dagger. The Time Lord stopped at Kuja and lifted him by the neck, squeezing hard. "I must repay you for kicking me over that cliff, Kuja." He winced as Garland squeezed even harder and snarled, "I'm returning the favor!"

Kuja slapped his hand onto the red orb of his obsidian armor. Garland barely had time to process the action until he silently cast Ultima upon the old man. Both flew apart in separate directions, both landing on the floor. Terra struggled to escape the Emperor's strong grasp to run to her fallen friends. "Let… me… go!"

"Don't you think you ought to listen to the girl?"

Firion and Leon threw Mateus off, slashing out at the surprised tyrant. Maria helped Terra off the ground. "I'm sorry we're late," she apologized. "You go to Kuja, and I'll try to take the curses off these two."

Terra gave her a thankful nod and rushed towards her comrades. She hurried to each one of them, casting the most powerful curaga she knew. Celes put an unconscious Tidus's arm over her shoulder and walked him over to where Maria, Luneth, and Arc were. She carefully sat him next to them and rushed off to try and dig Yuna, Jecht, and Golbez from out of the rubble. She didn't need to, it turned out, when Jecht pushed it off himself. He rubbed his arm and helped Yuna off the ground. "You okay, kid?"

The gunner gave a barely coherent response. Celes draped her shoulder over hers as well and took her to Maria as well. "We're all going to sleep in late after this," she promised, both to her and to herself. Celes had more bruises on her than from the battle with all the chaos warriors when she first arrived in Dissidia.

"Mmm, I hope so. Tell Rikku to shut off the alarm clocks."

Celes didn't know who Rikku was, but nodded anyway, laying her next to Tidus. "Just rest, okay?"

The Magitek knight suddenly stumbled herself, falling to her knees. Maria made her lay down too. "You need your rest," she told her. "We'll fix everyone up, so don't worry."

Dagger and Zidane both shakily stood, trying to stand by pushing up together. This barely worked, but they were up nonetheless. Maria led them off, sure to keep them from looking behind them.

Terra fell to her knees next to Kuja.

Had it not been for his raspy breaths, she would have thought him dead. Terra furiously wiped at the tears in her eyes and set to casting cure. It took a while before his wounds were better enough to where he could stand, but Terra kept up the steady flow of magic. "Thank you."

She shook her head, not meeting his eyes. "Just rest."

"Is Garland…?"

"I'm pretty sure. That really hit him hard."

"But is he dead?"

Terra turned back to where he lay, unmoving. "I-I think so."

Kuja let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

((((()))))

Zidane woke up with a blue sky overhead. Rinoa's kind face suddenly filled his vision. "Are you finally awake?" she asked, helping him creak up into a sitting position.

"Yeah, I think." He looked around and noticed they were at Balamb. Maria made her rounds periodically casting cure on everyone- they seemed to be fine, aside from a few bruises and a slight concussion for each of them.

Kuja sat up against a hedge wall, his eyes closed. "…He jumped in front of us…," Zidane slowly realized. "He took Garland's blow so we wouldn't get hurt."

Rinoa sat down next to him. "I heard from Firion that he cast Ultima on both him and Garland to try and take him out."

"Hardly a good strategy," Squall's deep voice intoned behind them, "but I guess it worked. Old man Garland is dead."

Zidane turned to see the SeeD. "He's dead?"

Squall nodded and stuck his gun blade into the dirt. He took a seat next to Rinoa, absently combing his hand through her hair. "That's almost half of the enemy taken care of. We've still got Exdeath, Enuo, Ultimecia, Seymour, Sephiroth, Mateus, The Cloud, and Garland. After that, all we've got left to deal with is Chaos. Then Cosmos can take us home."

Zidane was surprised to hear sadness in his friend's voice. He too couldn't wait to go back to Lindblum and Alexandria, seeing his brothers in Tantalus and all the rest. He supposed he owed Freya from Burmecia- right before he left, she had told him to not to get into trouble. So had Steiner, and it made a goofy grin come to his face when he thought how the stuffy knight did like him, even if it was just a little and for Dagger's sake.

…Which reminded him. Zidane frowned and stood up. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

He spun on his heel away from the shrugging two, a conversation coming back to him.

((((()))))

"_Then ask away, Brother."_

_Zidane scuffed at the old tile with his worn boots. "Back in Burmecia, didn't you recognize me? Why didn't you kill me on the spot?"_

"…_Killing a random stranger is one thing, but killing your brother is completely different. So I left you alive."_

"_Well," he started again, "what about in Terra? Did you intentionally let us get away then?"_

_He shook his head. "I had forgotten all about you and your friends, honestly. I had a few other things on mind- namely, that I wasn't immortal and that I was going to die. I guess wasting myself didn't help that, did it?"_

_Zidane shook his head. "No, it didn't. But, you didn't die. I didn't either. Cosmos saved us, remember? Right at the last second when Iifa's roots were headed straight for us, she popped us off to Dissidia to save our lives."_

"_Yes, and I owe her a lot for it."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Do you know why I'm doing all of this, Zidane? Summoning Chaos to defeat him?" When the blonde shook his head, Kuja said, "It's not so 'good' can prevail over evil- I couldn't care less about that."_

"_Then why?" he pressed._

_Kuja wryly smiled. "I don't want him to destroy everything like I tried to do. Sure, he's a god of discord, and his sole purpose of existence is to destroy and create dissension, but I'm not about to let him destroy you all. I learned that you can't just take someone else's life for such a petty cause. So, I'm preventing him from stooping to my level." Kuja let out a small chuckle. "It's low, copying me like that, isn't it? Especially for someone such as him. But I'm only glad I didn't kill anyone on Terra besides Garland. I'm glad you got your friends and the genomes to Gaia in time."_

"_But you got us out of Memoria, remember? When Necron had almost killed us, you got us away in time."_

_He nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I'm glad I did that."_

"_And then…."_

_Kuja looked at his face, a quirky smile on his face. Zidane couldn't hold in the laughter any longer. "I can't believe I blew off Dagger to go save your sorry butt."_

_His brother gaped. "What!"_

_Zidane doubled over from the laughter. "And she was about to kiss me, too! Kiss me! How could I have wasted that chance on _you_!"_

_Kuja knocked his head, only making his chortling worse. "You flirt!" he accused. "Nothing but a skirt-chaser until the end!"_

_Finally, Zidane managed to calm down, the silly smirk still on his face. "Oh, well. I guess it was worth it in the end. Besides, once I get Dagger back home I'm sure she'll plant me a big one. It won't be the same, of course, but I'll take what I get."_

_Aghast at his behavior, Kuja only shook his head. "How did a serious conversation with you turn into _this_?"_

_Zidane shrugged, right as Dagger starting walking towards them. "It's what I'm here for, bro."_

**I don't know why, but I feel awfully accomplished with this chapter. I've been planning it for quite a while, so I'm glad I've finally gotten to write it. Hopefully the next few chapters will come as soon as these two, with any luck.**


	21. Shinnen belief

**Late chapter, blame my stupid Algebra homework that ONE SINGLE PROBLEM TOOK UP A WHOLE PAGE. Or perhaps it is my Spanish homework, which took TWO HOURS to finish the other day….**

**Anyways, aside from all my complaining and excuses, I hope this chapter went a little more into the VII characters. I'm not sure why, but I felt like Tifa and Cloud just weren't having any real parts in here…. So… here we are. Anyways, Gil is not forgotten, even though he was kidnapped AGES ago, in a far off chapter I can barely remember the name of it. (Koufuku, maybe?) The opening quote is from Basch, FFXII.**

**Chapter 21- Shinnen**

_If I could protect but one person from war's horror... then I would bear any shame. I would bear it proudly._

((((()))))

Tifa was in the library when she heard the first shatter. "Cloud?" she asked in surprise, running into the laboratory under Shinra Mansion to see him hacking away at the huge test tubes. "What are you doing!"

He only stopped when the tubes lay in shatters at his feet. Without a word, he threw the Buster Blade back over his shoulder and walked away. Tifa grabbed his shoulder. "What was that about?" she pressed.

Cloud sighed. "That's where Zack and I were for four years."

She stopped, letting him storm off in his usual Cloud way. Tifa frowned and slowly started back after him. "You know, Cloud…," she started softly.

"What do you think I can bring back for Denzel and Marlene?"

Tifa was irritated that he decided to change the subject on her before she even _stated _the subject, but answered anyway. "I don't know."

Cloud's lips twitched. "You're going to make me choose?"

"Why not? You know them as well as I do."

"No I don't."

Now Tifa smirked. "And why would that be? Surely not because you ran off on Fenrir."

Cloud spun around, taking Tifa by surprise. "My bike. Is Fenrir still alright?"

She was about to assure him, when a certain notice broke into her mind. Foreclosure on Fenrir. Cloud's face crumbled. "What happened to it?"

"Um… well…. Without you to run the deliveries, we sort of lost some good money. And because of that-"

"You didn't lose it, did you!"

Tifa calmed him down. "Of course not! If Barret listened to me, he took it to Corel with him. Marlene and Denzel are with him, too, and I think Yuffie was supposed to watch over him while he was out digging for oil."

Cloud's eyes went wide. "_Yuffie_? How is she supposed to look after two children? She's still a kid herself!"

"Vincent and Cid are helping her."

"They're even worse!"

Tifa put her hands on her hips. "I couldn't just leave them with Red XIII! He's off with the WRO all the time. Shera's got her hands full cooking for them and Barrett's oil team, and the Turks are a last resort _always_."

He still didn't look convinced. "Elena wouldn't be too bad."

"I considered her, but I figured she'd dump them off with Reno, and that wouldn't turn out well, now would it?"

"Unless Reno handed them off to Rude."

"Can you really see Rude taking care of Marlene and Denzel?"

He shrugged. "You never know. Maybe he's really a family man and we just don't know it?"

Tifa scowled at him. "_Tseng _is more likely to be a family man before Rude, and you know it, Cloud Strife."

"Tseng has potential," he defended. "He might be strict, but I'm sure he could have watched over them."

"Do you know what you're even saying here!"

Cloud actually did stop to think about what he had said. With a mighty groan, he turned and marched out. "You've got me worried over the kids and Fenrir. What more can you expect?"

_For you to tell me something about what you've been doing here?_

But Tifa only hummed and set to walking outside of the so-familiar Shinra Mansion. She couldn't make the smile come to her face, though, as they were finally leaving the wretched place with their "crystal", which looked surprisingly like a green materia. There was this feeling in her gut that told her something bad was happening.

She almost didn't hear it when Cloud asked, "Are you alright, Tifa?"

Tifa tossed him a careless grin. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You have that look on your face," he observed, making her wonder if she really did have a "look". "What's going on?"

Maybe she couldn't hide it from him, then. For a brief moment, Tifa wondered how odd it was that their places had been switched. Usually she was the worry-wart while Cloud remained aloof, as normal. Maybe he was worried enough over Marlene, Denzel, and his stupid bike that it was rubbing towards Tifa as well. "Just a feeling," she simply answered. It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. There were other things on her mind too.

He didn't take that as an answer. "'Just a feeling'? Like the one you had before Aerith…." Cloud's voice trailed off as he focused on something behind her.

Tifa pulled on her gloves as soon as Cloud reached back for his sword. There wasn't a need to, seeing it was the real Bartz and Lenna and not a pair of manikins. "Heya, guys!" Bartz cheerfully waved.

_And now we're switching back to "aloof" Cloud…,_ Tifa miserably thought as soon as Cloud got that hopelessly bored expression on his face. "Hello!" she called, waving back. Bartz, with a bright red face, and Lenna, who still had a silly smirk on her face about something ran up to them. Tifa blinked, staring at the mimic. "Why…?"

His smile crumpled into a dark scowl. "She neglected to wake me up from a nap in the Rift. Sunburn. Touch me and die."

Lenna burst into giggles again, and held up her hands in surrender when Bartz summoned Garland's massive sword. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" She stifled her laugh and turned back to Tifa and Cloud. "How've you two been? Gotten your crystal yet?"

Cloud held the small green ball in response. "You two?"

"Got it!" Bartz said, cheerful that subject had changed. "We didn't even have to fight anyone, besides a few manikins. And they were _easy_, let me tell you."

Only Tifa noticed Cloud barely grin as the two rambled on about their adventures.

((((()))))

"Without Light or Cecil around, you all come to me, eh?"

"Well, you _are _a SeeD general," Rinoa airily reminded him. "You do know a lot about enemy strategies, don't you?"

Squall's signature scowl didn't change in the least. "But they aren't the same as a Galbadian leader back home, Rinoa. Each of them have nearly destroyed a world on their own." In a bland voice pointed at Kuja, he said, "And _he _actually succeeded in destroying an entire planet."

"Let's not mock the injured," he retorted, turning away.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Anyways, the last of the Chaos warriors are not only insanely strong, but they've had experience in murder and mayhem, two things we are not accustomed to."

He sat back and crossed his arms. "So, since we've basically winged it thus far, we should keep up the good work."

"Are you serious?" Firion asked, aghast. "'Wing it'? We haven't done anything of our own accord yet! Light split us up, and many of us almost died. Kuja had us go after our crystals, and look where it's got us. If they, the leaders, aren't even leading us anywhere with that method, _letting us out on our own_, we've got to do something different. Together, we have the one thing they do not: strength in numbers. We can overwhelm them with an onslaught and take them out one by one-"

A hoarse voice interrupted him. "They're not alone," Terra said, voice uncharacteristically grim. "Exdeath, Enuo, and the Cloud most definitely have an alliance. Garland, we know for sure, is going to follow any plan that brings down our downfall, and thus he's allied with everyone as well. Sephiroth was working with the Emperor when Leon fought him, just like Zemus once did. I don't think that Ultimecia and Seymour would be on their own, either. Seymour was part of Ultimecia and Edea's plan, right?"

Jecht and Golbez nodded.

She continued. "And we don't know whether or not Kefka is on our side of not."

Kuja turned at this. "What makes you think so?"

"When Rinoa was under control because of a necklace, it had the symbol of Gestahl. It was a similar design to the crown that…," her voice trailed off. "Gilgamesh wouldn't have known how to make it. It had to be Kefka."

He was silent. Terra nodded. "Then it's safe to assume he's working with Ultimecia and Seymour. If we're going to stick together, which I definitely agree is the smartest move, we've got to choose just which groups we're going to take out first."

Tidus stepped in then. "We're going to rescue Gil."

They nodded in agreement. The Blitz star turned back to Squall. "How're we going to do this, General?"

((((()))))

"No one's here yet," Mage realized, confused. "We did say to meet up at the Western Keep, didn't we?"

Light nodded, equally perplexed. "We did."

Mage frowned, expectantly looking outside the cave entrance. "You don't think…?"

He shook his head and sighed. "It was a simple mission- they're not in trouble."

She turned with a scowl to him. "Isn't that the same thing you said earlier?"

Light paled. Mage nodded victoriously and crossed her arms. "Well, I don't believe it for a second. Let's go find them. Oh, but we should leave a message, just in case someone comes and finds us gone."

They both decided it a good idea and started carving a message into the wall with their swords. So it wasn't the most conventional method of leaving a note, but it worked, nonetheless. Mage pretended to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Well, that should do it. I think our little warriors can decipher it if they try hard enough."

"Yeah," Light mockingly agreed, staring blandly at the chicken scrawl they had managed to write out. "They most definitely will be able to decipher it."

"Don't sass me," Mage snapped. "Alright, let's go."

((((()))))

"Is that… supposed to be a message…?" Bartz started slowly, turning his head sideways to see if that'd make it easier to read. It didn't, and he stuffily sighed.

"It says they've left to find the others. I guess Light and Mage got impatient," Lenna offered. When Bartz gave her an incredulous stare, she grudgingly explained, "Faris's handwriting is _much _worse than this."

Tifa nodded in understanding. Cid could scrawl horribly too, if he was in a rush. Which he always _was_ it seemed. She slowly nodded at the strange message. "Then… we go looking for them, now?" she asked.

Bartz and Lenna shrugged. "It's all we have left _to _do, isn't it?"

((((()))))

_Cosmos saved us, remember? Right at the last second when Iifa's roots were headed straight for us, she popped us off to Dissidia to save our lives._

_Yes, and I owe her a lot for it._

Zidane stopped, feeling winded. He'd walked a long way, he realized, looking back at the edge of Balamb. The Western Keep was just in front of him.

With a start, he realized that Light and Mage were still waiting for them. "Shoot!" Zidane exclaimed, turning back to go tell the others. How could they forget to rendezvous?

"Zidane?"

He skidded to a halt. "Huh?" he started intelligently.

A grin cracked on Mage's face. "Good to see you!"

"Ah, I'm sorry we forget about the rendezvous," he hastily started. "We had to go fight Garland because he was beating up on Luneth and Arc, and then Tidus and Yuna came and told us Gilgamesh was kidnapped, and Kuja killed Garland and-"

"Wait a moment," Light said. "What happened, now?"

Zidane shook his head. "Never mind- let Firion and Squall tell you. We're back at Balamb trying to rest up a bit."

Light and Mage exchanged worried glances at each other and ran off after the tailed thief.

"Hey!" Zidane shouted once the were closer to the gardens. "I found Light and Mage!"

Squall stood up, carelessly swinging his gun blade on his shoulder. "Hmm. Guess it is them. We've went ahead and decided to go after Gilgamesh. Start packing."

Zidane gaped. "Right away? Can't we, like, go in groups of two?"

"Splitting each other up only results in bad news," Terra said subtly. She couldn't help but narrow her eyes up at Light. He stared curiously back at her, and before he could ask anything, she interrupted him. "We're all going together, but only Firion, Leon, Maria, Jecht, Golbez, Squall, Rinoa and I are going to fight. The rest of you are going to try and get Gilgamesh back."

"Just who was responsible for kidnapping him?" Light asked. "How did he even get caught? Weren't you three traveling together?"

Celes frowned. "We… we thought he went with Bartz and Lenna. See, they were with us talking, and-"

"You shouldn't have been so careless!"

Celes winced at his shout. "This is serious!" he continued hotly. "We have no idea what they've done to him by now! We don't even know if he's even still alive!"

"Like you even care!" Terra suddenly burst.

Light flinched at her outburst. "Wh-what!" he stuttered. "Of course I do! I-"

"_You_," she started, "aren't even who you say you are!"

His face paled, and any words left in his mouth were heavy with guilt. "I… I…." He couldn't even utter a word in his own defense. Light just stood there, frozen with terror.

Terra huffily sat back down. "We're leaving as soon as Bartz, Lenna, Cloud, Tifa, Kain, and Cecil get here. It shouldn't take them too long to figure out we're not at the Western Keep."

((((()))))

"What the heck does 'Gurir ered higurtei' mean?"

Kain shrugged, cocking his head sideways. "I have no idea."

Cecil shook his head, giving up on trying to figure out the cryptic message. "Well, in any case, no one else is here."

The dragoon waved for him to follow. "We'll go in order, then. Balamb is the closest location from here, isn't it?"

"I believe so. Let's go."

((((()))))

Yuna knew it was probably impossible. The gunner took out their crystal, which looked surprisingly identical to one of Shinra's commspheres, and cocked an eyebrow. "Squall," she slowly asked, "your world is pretty mechanized, isn't it?"

He looked at her for a moment before giving her a nod. "So?"

"So," Yuna started, pointing to the sphere, "I thought maybe you could help me with something. In our world, there's a boy who invented a thing called a commsphere. Our crystal looks and feels just like one, and I was wondering if maybe we could find a way to turn it on and talk to him. It worked when I was in the Farplane for a little while, so I think it'll work here in Dissidia, too."

He didn't say a word, but took it from her hands and looked it over. The sapphire surface reflected back his solemn face perfectly, like a blue tinted mirror. But past his reflection was a series of circuits and wires to give away that it really was a commsphere. On the flat, golden bottom of it was a tiny switch. Squall flipped it, and a faint hologram popped up of the bridge of an airship. A man with a blond Mohawk in a pair of overalls with blue, swirling tattoos on his arms paced around with a blonde girl in a bikini top and a short skirt following mockingly behind him.

Yuna gasped, and they both looked up. "Rikku!" she burst, stealing back the commsphere. "Brother!"

The Al Bhed siblings ran over closer to the hologram until Brother's face filled the whole thing. "Yuuuunaaaa!" he cried in a heavily accented voice.

He started to ramble in a language unknown to everyone until Rikku shoved him away and filled her face in the hologram. "Oh, Yunie! We've been so worried! Where are you? We'll swing the Celsius around and come pick you up right away!"

Yuna nervously frowned. "Sorry, Rikku, but I can't leave right now. I'm in a place called Dissidia."

"Dissidia? Where's that?"

"Where I've been," Tidus finally broke in, setting his chin on Yuna's shoulder and grinning. He flinched back in surprise as tears formed in Rikku's eyes. "Ah, R-Rikku, I-"

Instead of the happy tears he was expecting, they turned into tears of rage. "YOU STUPID, STUPID, STUPID, POOPIE HEAD!" the Gullwing shouted, leaning back just enough to let in a little look at Paine standing, head cocked in confusion, behind her. "How dare you just leave like that and run off to this 'Dissidia' place without telling any of us! We thought you had faded! Died! _Been erased from existence-_"

Paine popped her head in, cutting off Rikku's rants. "So you're not hurt. That's good to know."

Yuna smiled at her drab companion and introduced them both. "Paine, this is Tidus. Tidus, Paine."

The transmission suddenly blinked, chopping up Paine's next sentence. Yuna's heterochromatic eyes widened in fear. "Paine… I-I think I'm losing you."

Rikku stole back the sphere. "Come back home really quick, Yuna, and we'll throw-" the image and sound fizzled again. "…really miss you!"

"I'll be home soon!" Yuna managed to get in before the sphere went blank for good. "Rikku? Rikku! Ri-"

"…She's gone, Yuna," Tidus mumbled. He frowned and the took the sphere from the stunned gunner's hand and pocketed it. "I think that killed the battery. At least we know everyone is fine, right?" Noticing Yuna was still miserable over losing touch with the Gullwings, Tidus poked her arm. "I have two quick questions, though. First, just who the heck is Paine? Second, since when do you have Al Bhed guys crying over you?"

It had worked- Yuna was now guffawing over Tidus's snippet at Brother. She attempted to answer with a straight face, but it just wasn't working. Yuna eventually at least was able to get a straight answer out for Paine: "She used to be a Sphere Recorder for the Crusaders. After they broke up, and her team split up to do their own things, she decided to start a career in sphere hunting."

"Um… what exactly is sphere hunting?" Celes asked, her face riddled with confusion. "Spheres don't… come alive, do they?"

Yuna grinned and shook her head. "Before Sin first destroyed Zanarkand a thousand years prior to my time, people used to record things in spheres to watch for later. In Spira, people have been finding those spheres from the past and learning about our history. This kind of sphere was messed around a bit by one of the Gullwings' crew members named Shinra to help us communicate or something. I don't know. Most of what he says doesn't make since to any of us, but he's brilliant either way."

Celes nodded, and plopped back on the ground next to Terra, who was twirling a blade of grass between her fingers.

"_There _you guys are!" Bartz shouted.

The mood lifted just a little more when Bartz and Lenna darted up to them. Cloud and Tifa weren't as erratic as the two, but were still just as glad that everyone was back together again.

Except for three. Tifa's face darkened as she noticed Cecil, Kain, and Gilgamesh were gone. "Where are the others?" she slowly asked.

"You haven't seen Cecil or Kain? I figured they would have joined you all," Luneth thought aloud. "And Gil…. He was kidnapped by the bad guys."

"What!" Tifa frantically burst.

Cloud gave her a grim look. "Seems you were right again, Tifa."

He explained her weird "feeling" earlier, and how she had the same gut feeling right before Aerith had died. "And also… right before you left," she quietly admitted. "That's why I thought you wouldn't be coming back." _That's why I cried myself to sleep for a week._

Cloud frowned, a side of him coming out the Dissidia warriors rarely saw: the caring side of Cloud Strife. "I'm sorry."

Tifa plastered a small smile on her face and shook her head. "But you're still alive. That means that we have time to save Gilgamesh, too."

Something pulled at Cloud's chest, like he'd be rammed into, that knocked the breath out of him. _Two seconds later, and I could have saved Aerith. Five minutes later, and I could have gotten Zack to someone who could save his life._

Cecil and Kain finally ran up, a grin on the paladin's face at seeing them all together.

_But… I wonder…_

They shouldered their packs and started off towards the Old Chaos Shrine- it seemed good as any place to start off at.

_We will make it in time for him?_

((((()))))

A wicked smile widened on the Cloud of Darkness's face as she put one finely sharpened finger at Gilgamesh's throat. The warrior glared mutely at her smirking face. "Nothing to say?"

He was silent.

She turned and walked away. "He's yours, boys," she flamboyantly simpered to Exdeath and Enuo.

_What a sweet sound, _The Cloud thought._ The sound of a dying man's last cry._


	22. Honyaku Great Calamity

**I've been waiting forever for this chapter. I think I may cry, now that it's finally written.**

**The opening quote is by Auron, who is from Final Fantasy X. **

**And for anyone who may be wondering, the flashback at the beginning of this is from chapter 13, when Cloud asked why Rinoa had time magic. **

**Chapter 22- Honyaku**

_I wanted to change the world, too. But I changed nothing. That's my story._

((((()))))

"_You have her powers."_

_Startled, Rinoa flinched back from the sudden statement. Kain sat down beside her and looked out over the horizon rising outside of Zanarkand. She looked back at her dark boots and sighed. So he had figured it out, then. "Yes," Rinoa grudgingly confirmed. "I have Edea's powers. Whenever a sorceress is going to die, they pass on their powers. Edea passed hers on to me, but she didn't really die. She only turned back to normal. Squall told me that after the battle with Ultimecia, he went back in time to see Ultimecia give Edea her powers. So, in a sense, I sort of have Ultimecia's powers."_

_The dragoon nodded, as if he'd known it from the start. "And you simply refuse to tell the others?"_

"_It's not something they're in dire need of knowing."_

_Kain was silent for a long while, and Rinoa didn't break it. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at the rest of the warriors. They'd set out tomorrow to try and figure out just what Kuja was planning, and why Ultimecia had tried to take control of her._

_Of course that was obvious- she wanted the warriors to turn against each other, and it almost worked._

_Almost…_

_But Zidane caught on. How could he? Ultimecia's plan was flawlessly put together. Not even Squall saw through it. Yuna had mentioned something about Garland, the creepy old man with the obsidian armor that looked at you like he was trying to see how you ticked, and how to mess you up completely…. Frankly, he gave Rinoa the creeps. She decided she'd ask him later, then._

_Rinoa barely caught Kain's sentence, too absorbed in her own thoughts. "…forgiveness."_

_She turned back to him. "What?"_

_Kain shook his head. "I said, I need to concentrate on finding forgiveness. I'm no better than those on Chaos's side, and Cecil knows it. Yet… yet Cosmos chose me. I do not understand. She should have chosen Rosa. She was going to be Cecil's wife. He had promised to marry her after we saved the world, but then he was sent to Dissidia. Rosa believes he is dead, and I suppose she hopes I accompanied him."_

"…_Why would Rosa hate you?" Rinoa asked. She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. You really don't have to tell me."_

"_It's fine. Everyone else is preoccupied at the moment anyway and it seems my help isn't needed at the moment."_

_Kain sat his helmet at his side and began his tale._

_Rinoa's face was surprisingly expressionless as he finally finished. She really couldn't believe that he had once worked alongside Golbez, but throughout it all, he was still Cecil's friend._

_He reminded her of Seifer. He was a SeeD student with Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell, and all the rest. Rinoa used to love him until Seifer kidnapped her and tried to kill Squall. Used to love him…._

_She figured Kain didn't want to hear her tragic love story, so she simply said, "I was a spy when I first met Squall. I used him as a way to infiltrate Balamb."_

_Kain cocked a disbelieving eyebrow that made her face turn red involuntarily. "You were a spy? For whom?"_

"_Forest Owls, a resistance faction part of Timber. We rebelled against Galbadia with SeeD's help, and eventually joined the battle to fight against Ultimecia. Only one of my old friends turned out to be a bad guy and tried to kill us. And after that, my stupid father locked me in my room and told Squall he was going to kill Edea. She was practically his mother, you know?"_

_Actually, he didn't know. "Edea was like his mother? How?"_

_Rinoa was going into touchy territory, so she warned him not to mention the conversation with Squall. "Squall and a few other SeeD's used to live in an orphanage ran by Edea Kramer. She was a kind woman until Ultimecia came and took control over her. Squall never really knew his parents. We met his dad once. His name was Laguna."_

_Kain listened to her ramble on, and she felt glad that she finally had someone to talk to. She'd been with Garnet and Lenna a lot, but she just felt too out of place with the queen and princess. They were _royalty_ and she wasn't. Terra didn't talk much to anyone besides the first ten warriors and Celes. Rinoa supposed she was just shy towards everyone still._

"_Everyone!"_

_Rinoa and Kain jumped to their feet, hands flying to their weapons. Rinoa calmed down a little once she noticed it was Light, but she didn't know who was with him. It was one of Chaos's warriors, she knew, because she had remembered fighting him for a while during the first battle in Dissidia. What was he doing here?_

_Unless… this was Ultimecia again coming back for round two._

_The Warrior slowly put his hands up in surrender, and Light only stared at them in confusion. Mage stepped forward, a cautious hand on the hilt of her sword. "What happened to Red Mage and Black Mage when we fought Kary?"_

_Light easily answered. "They both came up with a stupid plan of encasing her in ice so Thief could successfully steal the fire orb while I fought off fiends, and you healed Black Belt's injuries."_

_Mage grinned and everyone let out a sigh of relief. Rinoa saw the man with Light go straight to Terra and Celes, grinning. He was the villain from their world? Rinoa's eyes narrowed at him. Kain took noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"_

_Her hand went up to her throat where there was the faintest line a paper cut could have given her. Zidane had to have done that on purpose, earlier, and he had to have been an expert. Anyone else, and she would have had her throat slit. "Terra said my necklace had the symbol of Gestahl on it. What if he had been the one to make that?"_

_Kain turned back to him and slowly shook his head. "No, it wasn't him."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_There isn't a bit of malice in him. He must have come with Light so he could join our side. He most definitely is an ally."_

_Rinoa also looked back at him. He had a genuine smile on his face, talking to the two girls. He certainly didn't _look _like he was going to murder them in their sleep, at least._

_And besides, he looked familiar to her… _

"_All right, we can keep him!" she decided cheerfully._

_Kain stared after as she skipped off to properly meet their new guest. "What a strange girl. Said just like he was a pet."_

((((()))))

"You monster!" Rinoa screamed, running in first.

The Cloud of Darkness smugly turned to see the warriors pour into the old throne room. "You're late, Cosmos Dogs. The party started hours ago."

Rinoa ignored all the witch was saying. She was too preoccupied with staring at Gil. He lay on the ground with countless dents in his already rusty armor. Blood matted a part of his hair and his face was already turning purple with bruises. Tears sprang to the sorceress's eyes.

_He had a genuine smile on his face. He wasn't someone out to intentionally hurt them._

Terra ran past her in a blur, swinging out two whips of fire spewing from her palms. Rinoa snapped into focus, conjuring ice spikes. She sent them flying at Enuo, who immediately put up a shield around the three of them.

Jecht and Squall ran up to Exdeath and slashed at him. They're attacks made it through the shield, giving Terra and Rinoa the cue to draw their weapons. Terra ducked around the Cloud of Darkness, cutting in between the witch and Gilgamesh. Leon and Firion joined Rinoa in fighting against Enuo, the two brothers dashing to and fro, tag-teaming to cut off his quick spells while Rinoa shot out at him and constantly cast her own protective spells. Golbez and Maria ran off to help Terra with the Cloud of Darkness. Golbez kept doing his best to keep the girls open to a good hit, but the Cloud kept fading into and out of the shadows, making it hard for anyone to hit her.

Light and Mage quickly ran over to Gilgamesh, Kain and Cecil blocking any stray magic spells coming their way. Mage lifted Gilgamesh's head onto her lap and quickly cast a cure spell. Gilgamesh wearily opened his eyes. A small smile appeared on his face. "You guys came."

"Of course," Light responded, taking an arm over his shoulder. "We'd never leave you behind."

Gilgamesh's grin widened.

It happened all to fast, then. The Cloud of Darkness slid up from the floor in front of Light and Gil. Mage called out and cut her sword through the air, splitting the Cloud into darkness again. The Mage of Light froze, her hands shaking. "Where did she go?" she whispered.

"Afraid of the dark, are you?" came the malicious reply. Mage screamed as the Cloud came up behind her and wrapped her snakes around her wrists, making her drop her sword.

"Mage!" Light called out. Cloud ran up and took Gilgamesh. The knight wasted no time in running back to help her.

The Cloud lifted Mage easily and threw her away, grinning to show her canines. "Come to play, little one?"

A snake shot out and ripped through the side of his neck where his shoulder started. Light winced and dropped his shield, the weight too much for the injury.

Terra and Maria shot out attacks at the Cloud of Darkness, but she melted away in the shadows before any could land on her.

The others were doing just as well against Exdeath and Enuo. Exdeath swung out his fist and hit an unawares Rinoa, sending her crashing to her knees. Squall turned to her, and Enuo shot an ice spell at him, freezing him in place.

"Rinoa!" Kain shouted, rushing over to lend them aid. "Use your time magic!"

But she didn't have time to. Knocking Jecht, Firion, and Leon away with a barrage of magic, Enuo and Exdeath ganged up against Rinoa. The sorceress struggled to her knees, still holding the bleeding wound at her side, and tried to run out of the way. Exdeath ran in front of her and cut off her escape route. Enuo came from behind and blocked her off that way.

"To the Void!" they both declared, holding out their hands. The black mass shrouded around her.

"No! Rinoa!" Kain burst. He tackled into Exdeath, but he swatted him away with the spell still intact.

Rinoa thrust her hand out, and Kain grabbed it, trying to pull her free. "The Void shall rend your very soul!"

The sorceress screamed.

Her hand turned cold as ice. Kain jumped back as Exdeath jabbed at him. Rinoa's eyes turned sleepy, and she simply fell over on the cold, cluttered ground. Enuo walked over her limp form went back to shooting magic out at Jecht, Leon, and Firion.

Light, with one hand on his neck to keep it from bleeding to heavily, charged up at the Cloud without a moment to stop and worry about the wound. Golbez shot out dark balls of energy crashing into her. Maria and Terra shot at her the second her image started to reform. It was working for a while, until Light stumbled, finally succumbing to the dizziness of losing so much blood at once.

Gilgamesh pushed Cloud off. The ex-SOLDIER was taken aback for a moment, taking a moment to process what had just happened. The warrior broke into a pitiful run towards the Cloud, drawing a small blade from a place under his armor.

Zidane, who had been anxiously watching near the entrance with Dagger and Kuja, suddenly recognized it. His hands when to his sides. One dagger was missing.

He must have stolen it back in Mobliz….

It was certainly something Alley-way Jack would do. "Gil," he yelled, getting everyone's attention, "don't do it!"

Gil ran up to the Cloud of Darkness and stabbed the dagger into her stomach.

Even Exdeath and Enuo stopped in surprised at the Cloud's wail. She grabbed Gilgamesh's neck and conjured a spear made of raw darkness in her hand.

Before anyone could react- before anyone could even draw a breath- she plunged it through his golden armor.

"GILGAMESH!" Terra and Bartz screeched.

With shaking legs, Light watched as Gilgamesh dropped to his knees in from of him.

One thought came to his mind as he fell forward on the ground, his eyes coming to a close: _I failed._

((((()))))

Rinoa snapped her eyes open and shot upward. Pain erupted in her side where Exdeath had rammed his armored fist into her, and she sucked in a sharp breath. As the pain slowly ebbed away, she cracked open an eye and looked around her.

A large expanse of endless rocky terrain seemed to last forever in all directions. The sky was pure black, like the night sky, but no stars pierced the blanket of night.

She gradually got to her knees, then to her feet. She felt dizzy and disoriented, and the endless ground only threw her off further.

The main thought on her mind was where the heck she was, but she already knew the answer to that.

She was in the Void.

((((()))))

**AND THAT'S IT, FOLKS! I'm really mad at myself that this chapter was so short. It's one of the most important ones, and it barely makes seven pages on Word. Most of it was nothing but fighting, too. I promise the next chapter will be much longer though.**

**Please make my day and review.**


	23. Yui To Leave Behind

**Seriously. No reviews for chapter 22? NONE AT ALL? Am I really that big of a failure!**

**Well, I thought I'd give a nice little warning before this next lovely chapter: it's slightly gory. Not "Saw" kind of gory, but someone gets a very bloody death. Okay, okay, it's not too bad. But just in case, alright?**

**Onward, to this next chapter.**

**(PLEASE REVIEW? I might cry, if you don't. Seriously.)**

**Chapter 23- Yui**

_The people and the friends we have lost, nor the dreams that have faded… never forget them._

((((()))))

The ground was cold, the silence deafening.

Light heard the entire spectacle as it burst out in one tumultuous, spontaneous cacophony, sprawled on the ruinous, decrepit ground of the Old Chaos Shrine. His mind was muddled- he could barely make sense of the different shouts coming from the other warriors. Some were directed to Gilgamesh, others to himself, a few to Rinoa, and the rest just out of shock.

He wanted to close his eyes. He was ready to give up. Terra already knew his shameful secret; his reprehensible _lie _to the warriors that had put so much trust into him. Light had failed Cosmos by falling in battle, and the just reward for living such a bold-faced lie and ultimately neglecting the promise he swore to himself and his companions so long ago:

_I'm going to live, and I will dispel evil out of this world for good._

Shortly after declaring it in such a moment of pride, Chaos appeared, and Cosmos directed him straight to Dissidia in armor sans the rust and dents his other had had. She was giving him a chance of making something better of himself.

That was when the lie first came to his lips.

_I… I don't remember my name. I don't remember anything. Cosmos came for me, and… that is all._

So easily the other warriors had believed him! How easily he believed himself! Light paraded around in his fictitious charade, inwardly obsequious in the praise he got from those he desperately tried to lead. He even went as far as to become a hypocrite and fight Squall, pounding the message that there was strength in numbers into him.

Oh, he deserved this, all right. He deserved to see Gilgamesh, his skin white and golden armor now stained in blood, fall before him, the life slowly draining out of him. The breath froze in his throat, begging his fuzzy eyesight was betraying him. Out of the corner of his eye, the Cloud of Darkness staggered back, shaking hands clutching the hilt of an incised sword stabbed through her stomach. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the already maroon floor in a dark crimson.

Bartz's vibrant boots flashed before Light, as he dropped by Gilgamesh's side. He roughly shook his shoulders, yelling at him to speak, to sit up, to do _something_.

The Cloud let out a hoarse cough, blood spilling from her chin. Her voice dripped with acid as she cursed out and freed the sword from her. Mage, radiating fury Light had only seen when Black Belt almost died on her back when they fought Kary, yanked the sword from her nearly limp hands and stabbed her again. "You don't get to escape death," she spat. "Not after taking his life too."

All at once, the Cloud exploded into a thick, murky sable smoke that dissipated into the air. Metal clashed with metal, and Kain yelled out, "You coward! How dare you leave your comrade like that!"

Mage quickly flipped Light over his back. Her face, a smudge of blood on her cheek- Light didn't know whose it was, but he felt sick to think it was his own- came into his bleary view. She wiped a vermillion sleeve across her eyes and whispered out a croaky thank you to Cosmos that he was still alive.

Cecil, Kain, Golbez, and Celes were fighting Exdeath. Magic flew out in a vicious flurry, erupting into detrimental blasts. The walls were already starting to crumple. Firion already was taking lead, hurrying them out.

Light saw Luneth's stricken gaze look back to him. He said something, but his small voice was lost in the sounds of battle and of grief. Light merely shook his head towards the boy and turned away.

_Luneth looks up to you as a big brother. Didn't you realize that when he sat guard with you back at the Tower?_

Terra, her face expressionless walked over to Bartz, motionless next to Gilgamesh. She knelt next to him and pulled him into an embrace. Pain erupted in Light's shoulder then, a nice excuse for the tears that sprang to his eyes. Mage ripped off her cape and wrapped him up in it, trying to staunch the bleeding.

Kain spat out a curse- Exdeath and Enuo must have escaped. The dragoon, paladin, and his brother ran over to Squall, still frozen in a thick block of ice. Cecil turned to Mage and shouted, "Mage, we need some…." His voice trailed off as his eyes widened at seeing Light, struggling to keep his eyes open. He may have thought he deserved death, but that didn't mean he'd succumb to it so easily.

"Free Squall," Light ordered as Cecil ran to his somewhat unwanted aid. "See to it he and Rinoa are safely gotten out. Terra…." The half-esper turned, her bright eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry. For lying to you and all the rest. But please, just get Bartz and Mage out."

Mage sucked in a startled breath. "Me!" she furiously burst. "Fighter, you complete and total _fool_, to think I would dare leave you-"

The entire castle shook. Mage cut off her tirade and swiveled around, gasping.

A low, dark chuckle filled the stunned silence.

"Chaos!" Cecil bellowed. He drew his sword and held it out in front of him. "Get those unable to fight out- NOW!"

The demon let out a blood-curdling guffaw at Cecil's audacity. "You think that a simple few of you can hope to fight me? Someone shouldn't have created so much chaos- shouldn't have summoned me."

Cecil couldn't help but glare back at Kuja, who did nothing but stare at him in shock. "I didn't summon him. I swear it."

Chaos's form fizzled as he stood from his broken throne. "Ah, I am not fully to power because I wasn't properly summoned, but rest assured I do have enough power to blast you each into oblivion." As he spoke, Chaos lazily looked to his razor sharp nails. "Perhaps I should shred you puny, worthless play-things of Cosmos. Does she not care to show herself even when those she summoned are facing death? How unkind."

"Like you were there when those on your side perished," Kain growled. "You've nothing to say about Cosmos! If anything, she is here with us in spirit."

Another booming laugh. "With you in spirit! Aren't you the precognitive one! No, foolish warrior, Cosmos is not coming back for you. She is reveling in her weakness! The less order, the weaker she becomes! You have done me a great service, Kuja, fooling them all like this! Truly my most prized warrior- in fact, I almost worried of your life when you did a thoughtless attack on Garland."

Zidane slowly turned to his brother.

Kuja's face was blank. A completely vacant expression, not agreeing to what Chaos had just said, but not denying it either. Zidane shook his head. "No… Kuja-"

"Of course I didn't help him. Don't you realize he's trying to draw more power by creating chaos among the two of us?" Kuja softly snapped. There was a strange tone in his voice, betraying the surprise that Chaos would try to pull such a card.

Doubt was still evident on the thief's face. His obvious indecision brought a toothy grin to Chaos's face. "Ha ha, there is nothing like a good betrayal to create dissension. And what shall I tell about you two, Jecht and Golbez? A few stories about your days as Sin and all you destroyed, or how many lives you took, Golbez?"

"Sir Jecht would never!" Yuna yelled, whipping out her guns. Before Tidus could stop her, she fired away, the bullets hitting home in Chaos's chest. Her heterochromatic eyes widened as the bullets _disappeared_ into him. Chaos held out a hand. From his finger tips rained the bullets she had just fired. Celes barely put up a magic shield in time.

This unfortunately drew his attention to her. "Celes Chere, what stories I could tell of you! You worked with Kefka, betrayed your friends… betrayed your precious _Locke._"

She sucked in a breath. "How… do you know about him?" she cautiously asked.

"As if I would forget the delicious chaos you both caused each other! I greatly enjoyed the part where you knocked him and your other 'friends' unconscious and ran back to Gestahl," Chaos chuckled. "Which now brings me to lovely, frenzied Terra! You left both of your worlds to ruin at the hands of Kefka- don't deny it now," he cut her off as she opened her mouth to interject. "I believe we all know of your time in Mobliz, _wasting _precious battles to watch over some rotten children. You didn't even fight to protect that, either, did you? No, you left that battle to Celes and Sabin."

Terra shook her head. She finally stood and glared at him, pressing her shaking hands to her sides. "I did not leave them."

"But you did!" Chaos crowed, pointing an accusing, transparent finger at her. "You left your precious Edgar to die!"

Celes quickly shook her head, stuttering out, "Nothing bad happened to him, Terra, I swear-"

As her stricken gaze hit the floor, Chaos smirked and crossed his four arms. Slowly, she asked, "And were you the one to hurt him?"

The glee seemed to roll out of his mouth as he said, "Yes."

In one bright flash, Terra transformed into a lavender esper. "No!" she screeched, charging up at him.

"TERRA!" Celes called out in terror, running forward to help her friend. "He's lying! I saw Edgar right before I left! He's lying, Terra! _Edgar is perfectly safe!_"

Celes started a frenzy of spells to try and keep the two apart from each other. Every attack was absorbed by Chaos and thrown right back at her. Terra threw out her own magic. The flurry of fire spells was so fierce that even Squall, on the other side of the vast throne room, started to melt a little.

He locked a stormy gaze on Chaos, struggling to free himself.

Terra simply wouldn't listen to anything her friends desperately shouted to her. Spell after spell she cast, not once slowing. Too much at one time.

Light finally pushed away from Mage, who was unsuccessfully trying to pull him to safety, and bellowed with all his might, "TERRA BRANFORD, STOP YOUR SENSELESS FIGHTING THIS INSTANT!"

And, to everyone's surprise, she did stop. Terra's eyes flickered from deep red back to their original emerald hue, and she slowly floated back to the floor. Another bright flash, and she was back on her knees in her human self. Celes's boots echoed against the dark, cracked marble as she ran over to her. "You promise he's safe?" Terra asked, her voice small and barely above a whisper. "Everyone is safe, aren't they?"

"Yes, yes," she agreed, hoisting her to her feet. "They are safe, but we aren't."

Light staggered again, but Mage caught him.

Chaos readied for the juiciest round of them all. "Fighter, the vagabond from Cornelia. You not only _lied _to everyone present in this room, but you also allowed Gilgamesh to die. We both know you could have stopped him just like you stopped Terra's little rampage. So why didn't you?"

"Gilgamesh returned to where he had to," rang the clear, sonorous voice of Cosmos. She appeared in front Mage and Light, blocking them from Chaos's twisted words. Cosmos dipped her head in greeting to her rival.

Chaos only smirked. "Well, well. She shows her cowardly face."

Cosmos's lips twitched. She held out an elegant, small hand and snapped her fingers. Chaos disappeared into fit of laughter. Mage dove to catch her, leaving Light in Celes and Terra's hands. Cosmos righted herself, breathlessly thanking her. "I've suppressed his powers. Now, you all need to go to Zanarkand. You must hold a funeral for Gilgamesh there."

She didn't say it aloud, but everyone heard her next sentence: _You haven't much time left._

Cosmos turned to Bartz, who slowly stood from Gilgamesh's side. "Of course, Lady Cosmos," he said.

Light wasn't sure what scared him the most, then. The fact that everyone knew he had lied, that Cosmos was steadily losing power while Chaos gained it….

Or the single tear that fell down Bartz's cheek.

((((()))))

"Tidus…."

The blitz player looked down at weary Luneth, trudging along at his own worn out pace. "Yeah?" he asked. Tidus was just as equally tired as he was. They all were.

Luneth frowned. "Why are we going to Zanarkand?"

Tidus wasn't so sure himself, so Yuna, who thankfully caught on to the conversation, replied, "I guess because of the pyre flies. They preserve memories, so… maybe Cosmos wants us to leave our memories of Gil with them."

Both boys blinked. "That… that's actually… pretty smart," Tidus noticed.

"It really is," Luneth agreed.

Yuna rolled her eyes. "Of course. I mean, it's not like the idea came from _you_."

"I take offense to that!" Tidus playfully burst.

"Really? Just wait until you hear what Rikku's said about you!"

"I knew she couldn't be trusted!"

Everyone was aware of the fake smiles on their faces. They were almost believable. It really hit home in Jecht to think how much experience they must have had to achieve that kind of skill.

Chaos was wrong. Jecht hadn't destroyed Kilika and killed all of those Crusaders. That had been Sin.

But then again, Jecht was Sin, wasn't he? And he had voluntarily decided to turn into the monster and let Braska die while his son had decided the exact opposite: to fight back against the false hope Yu Yevon preached in order to truly defeat Sin once and for all instead of succumbing to it like he had.

Tidus and Yuna's plan had been a success, as Luneth seemed slightly more peppy than before. Arc actually had a small, bashful smile on his face.

Glad to see her mission accomplished, Yuna started whistling again that happy, uplifting tune. Again, no one could really say anything. It seemed too out of place amidst the sorrow and exhaustion, but no one had the heart to tell her to stop.

There was an emptiness in the air as Rinoa's song sprang into their heads. Her awful crowing wasn't comic now- not with her soulless body being carried by a still somewhat-frosty Squall. This only made Yuna hum louder, as if she was trying to dispel the memory with her song.

When Jecht simply hold it back any more, he started to hum as well.

Kuja stopped and stared at him. "Jecht?"

"Hymn of the Fayth," he answered. "It's fitting, so don't butt in, Gay-Skirt-Man."

Tidus and Yuna shrugged and started to sing themselves.

Their three voices slowly gained volume, and it harmonized perfectly with the thousands of pyre flies materializing around them. The wisps transformed into a bald man with bright green eyes turning away from Yuna and starting to sing. The same peppy blonde girl from before, in a slightly more modest outfit this time, also appeared and started to sing. Zanarkand transformed into the interior of an airship.

Yuna's singing came to abrupt stop as she saw herself from two years ago, wistfully watching as Cid gave the order to bomb Home. How different she was… how solemn she was back then. The scene before them quickly changed into another one.

Tidus, Yuna, and a group of people the others didn't know were on the airship. Far below them on Spira drifted up a chorus of the Hymn, all of their voices loud and sonorous.

Spira's conjoined voices seemed enough, so Jecht and Tidus also fell silent. "This was how we got through to Jecht while he was Sin," Yuna explained. "All of Spira joined together to sing. For once, we weren't just a scattered few towns hoping we'd be spared the next time Sin came by. We were one. And, together, we put our faith not into Yevon, but in ourselves. That was how we won."

"Are we ready?"

Tidus, Yuna, and Jecht turned around to see Cosmos. She held a thin staff in her hands. Gilgamesh lay at her feet. "If it is not too much to ask…," Cosmos started, gripping the staff. "I figured it would be appropriate considering the location."

Yuna slightly gaped. "B-but… I don't have my powers as a summoner anymore. How can I…?"

Cosmos handed it to her. "Your powers as a summoner came not only from Yevon, but from within yourself as well. They are dormant and much weaker without the Fayth, but they are still there."

She hesitated a moment, looking back to the other warriors. "You don't mind if I send him? Um… so his spirit doesn't remain here, but that he goes to the Farplane."

Bartz numbly nodded. "Go ahead."

The pyre flies flared up again as Cosmos stepped back and Yuna took a deep breath. The dismal, dreary landscape around them switched into a fiery, tropical island wreckage, the setting sun shading the entire scene in red. Yuna was shadowed by a pyre fly-incarnated version of herself from two years, ghosting her every movement.

Beside Tidus, Luneth took off his helmet. Kain, Light, Mage, and Golbez followed suit in respect. The rest watched in awe at Yuna seeming to dance to a slow, melancholy tune. Pyre flies erupted from Gilgamesh, each turning into a different person. Exdeath's right-hand man, the Gilgamesh Bartz and Lenna knew so well; the esper Gilgamesh that Terra and Celes knew, the summon Squall had met, and finally a cocky swordsman with four arms that Zidane and Dagger knew to be Alley-Way Jack.

Yuna stopped, her staff pointing to the ground. The pyre flies all disappeared along with Gilgamesh's body. The staff shook in her quivering hands as an apparition came up to her. A woman in a black, fur-trimmed dress smiled and patted her head. "You did well," she assured her. Then she was gone.

((((()))))

It was a surprise to all when Cosmos decided to camp with them. "Chaos was right about one thing only," she explained. "I've not offered you enough help. It has pained me to see every battle, and so I've decided to guard you all while you get some well-deserved rest."

Light was properly bandaged now, so he figured he could take role as leader again. Mage was miffed by his behavior, but let it slide as long as he didn't move and open the wound. "But Milady, do you have the strength? I can still fight-"

"You're not going to," Terra said firmly, her hands on her hips. "You're going to be a good patient and let us play doctor."

The warrior stared blankly at her. "…What?"

"If I had to endure the masses of ladies doting on me, so can you, big guy," Zidane sighed.

Dagger scowled at him. "Like you didn't enjoy every second of it, you flirt."

Zidane simply laughed off the barbed comment and strolled over to Bartz, who was still in his silent stupor. The thief sat next to him, without a word, and joined him and Lenna's silent vigil for Gilgamesh.

Dagger smiled at Zidane, still unable to get over how selfless he could be. Of course he knew they'd probably stay up all night, but Dagger supposed he'd pass the time gathering his thoughts.

Which hopefully didn't include any girls another than herself.

((((()))))

It wasn't even completely dark outside until snores filled the makeshift camp. Only Cosmos, Bartz, Lenna, Zidane, and Squall were still awake.

The SeeD general had his arm around Rinoa, wistfully glaring up at the stars. There was nothing he could have done to save her, and it dug deep into his chest, as if he were the one stabbed and later sent by Yuna instead of Gilgamesh.

Kain tried to reach her. It was more than Squall could have done.

Squall was sure that Cosmos was ready to give him a lecture about "loving and letting go", but if the woman thought he'd _dare _let Rinoa go, she had another thing coming. Rinoa had tried her hardest to keep him safe, and he had let himself be trapped and unable to repay the favor to her. Now… he wasn't even sure where she was. In the Void, obviously, but just where was that? And how could he go there and bring Rinoa back?

A wave of fatigue rolled over him. _I'll find her. I swear I will,_ he promised the stars as his eyes closed. His last thought was, _I bet this sleep is Cosmos's doing._

Cosmos wryly grinned as his snores joined the rest.

((((()))))

Cosmos sat still in the darkness, her form barely radiating light. She had also cast a sleep spell on Bartz, Lenna, and Zidane- despite the horrible things happening, they needed rest too- and now listened to the sweet silence of Zanarkand. It was such a melancholy place, she thought wistfully, not unlike all of Dissidia, really. She watched pyre flies wander through the ruin, sometimes transforming into figures her warriors must have known.

Heart filled with sorrow, she looked back to her sleeping warriors. Luneth and Arc each had one of Terra's arms wrapped around them, with Arc leaning on Dagger's shoulder.

Squall lay with one arm around Rinoa protectively- it pained Cosmos to see the morose general show so much love to this one girl, so she turned to Cloud and Tifa. The childhood friends were both propped up against the side of the old stadium, Tifa's cheek on Cloud's shoulder.

Firion and Leon lay on either side of Maria. Even in their sleep, they were protective of their one and only sister. It was a sight almost as sweet as Terra, Dagger, and the boys.

A smile just as despondent as the rest of Zanarkand came to Cosmos's lips. She shook her head, the smile crumpling, and whispered, "I hate that it was you who I had to bring into war again."

One of them stirred, and Cosmos looked to the ground as he looked up at her. "Lady Cosmos?"

She waved him over. They sat beside each other, neither willing to look and see the sadness in each other's eyes. "You know what you must do…," Cosmos miserably realized.

He slowly nodded. "Yes."

"You're willing to do it? To give your life to protect the others?"

Again, he nodded.

Cosmos stole a glance at him, his silver hair glinting in the pale moonlight. Uncharacteristic tears were in his eyes. "I'm sorry," Cosmos whispered. "I'm so sorry."

He only stood and walked away.

**The Cloud of Darkness finally got her reward for constantly kicking my poor Zidane/Squall around on Dissidia. Rest in PIECES, you stupid witch.**

**Also, I am a fail. I FINALLY have VI to play, and I've noticed how awful I've portrayed Celes! And I totally screwed up the VI prologue- LOCKE AND CELES FOREVER! I greatly apologize for that, and from now on, I'll hopefully get it right. (Me getting VI also means I have a PS2 now! I can finally play my beautiful IX again! Good, quality Kuja-time… at last!)**


	24. Gisei Sacrifice

**These past few chapters has been a lot at once, what with Gil dying, some random guy with silver hair soon going to die, and pretty much everyone, even Bartz, down in the dumps…. And I've now come to tell you, this chapter is even worse. Yes, it is possible.**

**Also, if things start getting to the point to where you can't understand what's going on, PM me right away and tell me to SLOW THE HECK DOWN. Okay? Don't worry that'll upset me or whatever, because I need to know.**

**The quote is by Kid from Chrono Cross. Very fitting and quite blunt, if I do say so myself. And I do.**

**Also, the poem in here was written by best friend in the entire world, Austin. He is amazing, and if you steal, may evil bunnies come and devour your Halloween candy.**

**Please R&R!**

**Chapter 24- Gisei**

_If the world's gonna be destroyed, then let it be destroyed! If history is gonna be changed, then let it bloody well be changed!_

((((()))))

When the warriors all awoke, Cosmos was still at her post on a fallen pillar, looking out at the bright sunrise.

Zidane's loud, stretching yawn seemed to set off a chain reaction for Bartz and Tidus. The tailed thief looked expectantly to Cosmos. "You, uh, don't have a magic breakfast to conjure up for us, do you?" he asked hopefully.

Cosmos let out a tinkling laugh, warming up everyone's dismal mood immediately. "No, but I will try and help whoever cooks, if I am allowed."

Tifa nodded with a smile. "Of course, Lady Cosmos. What'll it be today, everyone?" the bartender addressed the warriors. "Soup, or the Lockhart-Branford Surprise?"

Tidus solemnly raised his hand. Tifa nodded to him. "Yes?"

"Is the Lockhart-Branford Surprise more soup?"

"Yes."

The entire camp let out an echoing groan.

((((()))))

Once fed, the warriors were a little back to their normal peppy selves. Unless any of them looked at Bartz, who kept his gaze directly on his shoes, or Squall, who held Rinoa in his arms.

Light definitely felt better in terms to his shoulder, but really… he still felt no better than trash. Chaos was exactly right, and Light was well aware of that. He was a liar, a fool, and a fake. Everything he had done in Dissidia… it wasn't himself doing all of those heroic things Luneth looked up to him for. It was the fake persona he had made up.

But the one person who was by far the most miserable was Kuja.

Chaos had first went to him. Of course. It didn't matter what else the others had done, he had passed them all by. Kicked his master off a cliff, decimated Terra, nearly destroyed his brother and his band of friends…. Jecht hadn't even reached that level of destruction, and Kuja knew how many lives he had destroyed. But Jecht hadn't seen the real, true hate in Dagger's eyes every time she looked at him. Kuja had taken both her mothers, both her homes, away from her.

Kuja couldn't quite help himself spitting out poetry in his head. It just seemed calming, no matter the poem nor the situation.

_The way I feel for you, to me, alarmsThough you deserve to know,I would rather die with you in my arms_

_Than know I must let go._

"Chaos has already shown once," Firion pointed out unnecessarily, taking the silence as a chance to go over their plans, "So we've got to prepare for if he shows again so suddenly again."

Cloud nodded, seemingly thankful that Chaos hadn't pointed out any of his past sins yesterday. "We've got to stop being chaotic, then. Get organized, give some more power to Cosmos-"

"No."

The warriors turned to the goddess in surprise. Cosmos shook her head, repeating herself. "I suppose I have waited long enough to tell you all this."

Cosmos took a deep breath. Kuja closed his eyes, whispering a few more lines under his breath.

_I feel as if my heart is beating out of my chest,I wish you could fathom how I feel,I promise that I will try my bestTo make this all seem real._

She told them everything. "From the very beginning, from when I pulled my first ten warriors here, I knew that if this conflict was to finally end, Order would have to be destroyed. That means… I would have to give up my life.

"In each crystal you hold, I have put a part of myself into it. My power is divided into you, my warriors, and without it this war will never be won. I myself am now powerless. To appease Chaos, to finalize my power in the crystals, I… will die."

Cosmos couldn't bear to see their faces. Distraught, surprise, horror…. She couldn't do it. "And after I give my life, you will have to defeat Chaos. However, since chaos from all the worlds have strengthened him, it will take an extra push. It will be too much for just you, so I've arranged that you get help."

"Help?" Cecil cautiously asked. "What kind of help?"

The goddess smiled. "I mean that I have visited your worlds a third and final time. I have told your comrades about the war, and I have warned them of anything Chaos may try to do to their worlds to muddle you all here. They each told me that you 'have their backs'."

Cecil gasped. "Rosa! Did you see Rosa?"

"Yes, and she is well," Cosmos replied. "Nothing has gone wrong since you left. But if we do not defeat Chaos soon, that may change."

Cosmos looked back at Kuja. "This is your cue," she told him, trying to keep her voice steady.

He nodded. "After Cosmos… sacrifices herself, Chaos will be at his strongest. With no order, he will likely seek to destroy Dissidia, which will in turn destroy our worlds. To prevent that, we need to restore order as fast as we can. We must defeat Chaos as fast as possible. To give order, anything he says or throws at us, we must be ready for. We cannot let him get under our skin as he did yesterday. After we defeat Chaos, we go back… home."

The word left his mouth dry. The worst part was, he knew, was that he wouldn't have a home to go back to. As if he had one in the first place.

Luneth and Arc's mouths popped open. The two turned to each other and slapped a high five. "We're going home!" Luneth whooped, tossing his helmet up. "We're going home, we're going home, we're going home!"

An excited clamor rose among them. Joy ran rampant for what seemed a forever until the final message finally hit them. _Cosmos was going to die._

"So all that remains is where we take our final stand," Kuja finished.

"_Our _final stand?" Zidane asked. Nothing about that made him feel particularly bright and happy. "I mean, it won't _literally _be our _final _stand, will it?"

Kuja rolled his eyes. "Of course not!" he snapped. "I was being poetic."

"I told you guys that he takes down his enemies by spitting poetry at them, didn't I?" Jecht remarked.

The mage gave him a short glare and sighed. "I believe we should get this over with. Delaying it will only let doubt let itself in and we've no use for that."

As discussions rang through about the situation, Kuja quoted the last stanza.

_I regret not telling you this before,But now that I am facing death,I miss you each day more and more,I wish you had never left._

_Though the point I wish you knew_

_Is simply that I love you._

((((()))))

It wasn't a decision one came to easily. Home was so close, but so was the final battle. Cosmos's death was so imminent, and no one wanted to see someone else die.

None of the warriors really talked to Cosmos that much. She was the goddess, and they were the lowly warriors. One doesn't have a real chance to call her up and chat. Because of that, no one really knew her, either. Maybe she had done that on purpose. Once you get to know someone, the harder it is to see them go. Maybe she really had planned this all from the very beginning.

Luneth knew all of this, but home was most important on his mind. Ur, Canaan, and all the rest… he was going back to them. He would see Refia, Ingus, and Desch again. Luneth could hardly wait to visit the Princess Sara's castle, too. Ingus would be there in his fancy armor, and Luneth would drop jokes about him and Sara the entire time.

"Luneth… how hard do you think Refia is gonna hit us…?" Arc suddenly thought in horror.

The Onion Knight's happy demeanor instantly turned into dread. "The evil Hammer," he remembered. In all seriousness, Luneth concluded, "Arc…. I think we are going to die."

His companion let out a wail. "I'd rather stay in Dissidia than face the Hammer! Refia is going to kill us! She'll use us as doorsteps!"

"Doorsteps?" Tifa murmured away from the two. "That's an interesting concept. I'll have to look into later." _Though I hope my customers won't run away screaming in terror if they see Cloud flat on the ground with shoeprints all over him._

The bartender found the thought even more amusing. _But then I can sell Fenrir. Or ride it myself. No, no… Vincent would put it to better use. He actually goes places. But I can't see him on a motorcycle…._

"Tifa."

She blinked and turned around. "Yes, Cloud?"

"That look on your face… you're scheming."

"Why, yes. Yes I am."

The ex-SOLDIER shook his head. "On second thought, I really don't want to know." But instead of leaving, Cloud frowned and looked over at Kuja, who was caught in one of Zidane's epic stories of Gaia and what they'd do when they got home, and Cosmos, who had a sad smile on her face as she watched Luneth and Arc freak out over their eccentric, hammer-loving friend. There was something neither of them were telling the warriors.

And that something wasn't good at all.

"You've noticed it too?" Squall intoned, walking up to the two. He had a look in his eye that _dared _them to look at Rinoa in his arms.

Cloud knew too well what he was going through, and only nodded. "I wonder what the catch is this time?"

The three looked over at Zidane, who yelped in terror at some threat from Dagger. "No, Zidane Tribal, I've told you again and again that we are FORGETTING Conde Petie."

Squall rolled his eyes. "I have no idea. But I don't like how we've still got some of Chaos's minions roaming around. Light, Terra, and Bartz are still bad off, and they'd only get themselves killed trying to fight Garland, Kefka, or Bartz's two."

Tifa shouldn't have been surprised to hear no pity whatsoever in the SeeD General's voice. "Well, they have been through a lot," Tifa reminded him. "I don't think really any of us are ready to fight. Not if Sephiroth and the others are going to be there. They'll overwhelm us together." _Not to mention that Sephiroth and Tidus and Yuna's Seymour won't seem to stay dead once we've defeated them._

Cloud seemed to be thinking the very same. "Seymour should already be dead. There's something about him I just can't stand."

"Join the club!" Tidus called out irritably. He, Yuna, and Jecht joined the planning session. Rubbing his arm as if he still felt an old injury, Tidus muttered, "Seymour is what you'd call a royal pain in the-"

Yuna growled and nodded to Luneth and Arc shaking in fear. Tidus quickly revised the sentence with, "-a royal pain in the _butt_."

With a sigh, Yuna nodded in agreement. "He's a freak- and that's putting it nicely. We're talking about a man that planned to kill all of Spira so they'd have 'peace in death'. I'm sure that he's dead right now, but his spirit is too strong, like last time, and he's still hanging around here. He needs to be sent before he goes away for good."

"And that creepy voice…," Zidane piped in with a creepy voice of his own. Yuna flinched back in surprise at seeing him suddenly materialize behind them.

Dagger nervously laughed as they turned to them. "Sorry for butting in. I figured that we- well, me, really- needed a catching up on the enemy."

Squall shrugged, as if that was understandable. "And Seymour is a magician, which puts us at a disadvantage…," he thought aloud. "Of all the mages we've got, most of them only specialize in white magic. I think only Arc, Mage, Terra, Golbez, and Kuja have feasible magic?"

They nodded. "I have eidolons, though," Dagger reminded him. "As long as I'm conscious, I can keep them summoned for a while."

"And I have dyne- I guess you could call that a kind of magic- but only in trance." Zidane kicked at the stone ground, as if the subject was touchy. He'd told bits and pieces of the story of Kuja's trance and the devastation it brought, and it seemed like a powerhouse for any given genome. The look on Dagger's face confirmed it. The tailed thief suddenly smiled and said, "We don't really need magic to beat them, do we? Tidus and I are certainly fast enough to catch them."

The two slapped high fives and whooped. Yuna giggled and pulled out her guns, spinning them. "And I've been told I'm a good shot." When Tidus when into snorting laughter, her face turned red. "Well, Rikku and Paine think I'm a good shot! A-and Nooj, too! Mmm… I think even Lulu said something about it- wait, no, that was about me hanging around Rikku too much. Apparently, she's a bad influence to me or something and-"

The blitz player shook his head, trying to stifle his laughter. "No, no, that's not it. Just… oh, wow, I seriously never thought you'd go machina-al bhed all on me!"

"What is that supposed to mean!" she cried, more in confusion than actual fury. Her outburst only made Tidus laugh harder.

With everyone preoccupied with teasing Yuna, Cloud turned to look back at Cosmos. She now had her sad smile on them and, meeting Cloud's eyes, she nodded her head, as if to confirm what he thought: _They were acting again._

Cosmos sighed and turned to look at the Zanarkand scenery. Not that there was much to see besides the random pyre fly-induced memory or some broken structure, but the goddess just seemed fascinated with the area. Cloud looked around Zanarkand, too. He noticed that a few other warriors, namely, Celes, Kain, and Light; followed Cosmos's gaze out to the nothingness of Zanarkand.

It was a lonely place, that they all knew, but with the void landscape came a heavy weight. This place marked The End. Maybe Cosmos too had chosen this place in the very beginning to reveal her plan.

But the one thing that truly entranced Cloud was how this place seemed to make everything fall into play. He had tuned out most of Tidus's story about Zanarkand and all that happened there, but he did catch the part about guardians sacrificing themselves to turn into aeons for the summoner. Both would die, but so many others would finally find happiness.

It really made Cloud think.

Just who was the guardian? And who was the summoner?

If Cosmos were to die, there would be no order. There had to be a catalyst to break the chaos. Cloud wasn't sure what, exactly, but he had an idea- one that he didn't like at all.

During the battle with Chaos, not only Cosmos would die, but someone else would have to also.

((((()))))

Rinoa wasn't sure when it first started to rain.

The icy drops made her shiver, but then again, just walking alone in the void of the… well, _the Void_, was enough to make anyone shake. She wanted to sit down and rest, but something just kept pushing her forward, seeming to tell her that if she sat down now, she wouldn't get back up.

The scenery hadn't changed a bit. Dry, cracked earth that refused to turn into mud regardless of the rain ran on and on for endless miles. The sky was still sable black with a strange illumination to light the way for Rinoa's march.

The one that had changed, however, was the yellow lily that kept popping up.

Every few steps, there it was, the bright and cheery flower that seemed to guide her to wherever it was she was going. A few times Rinoa had stopped to look behind her, and the flower was gone. It must have been magic, she supposed, and figured that as long as a monster didn't pop up from it, she'd keep following it. Besides, Rinoa liked the color yellow.

So while Rinoa followed the lily randomly seeming to weave into view, she did quite a bit of thinking. She thought a lot about Squall, and if he was alright at the moment. The battle was probably over by now, and she worried if anyone was hurt. Was Gilgamesh alright? Rinoa didn't want anything to have happened to him. He was too nice to die.

_Too nice to die._ A very blunt, very unreasonable thing to say. Nice people died all the time. In fact, it was mostly the nicest people that _did _die.

Rinoa finally stopped. She looked down at the lily, and wondered why it wasn't moving out of her way. It was a very nice flower, actually. Without even thinking, she reached down and picked it.

As soon as its stem snapped, the dry earth erupted into a whole garden of yellow lilies. Rinoa looked around in shock at the sudden changes- looking up from the endless lilies to the bright blue sky dotted with lazily drifting clouds.

When she looked back down from the sky, she met a pair of emerald eyes.

((((()))))

No one knew for sure why they simultaneously drew their weapons. They had put things off long enough, and, just as Kuja had said, delaying the inevitable wouldn't be any help at all to them.

It seemed stupid to everyone to wait around in Zanarkand until Chaos found him, so they decided to head straight to him. "He's waiting for us at the Chaos Shrine, of course," Cosmos explained when Squall had asked her (after many choice comments about the whiny brats too scared to ask themselves). "Oh, he definitely knows why we're coming."

The short journey back to the shrine was nearly silent. Mage and Cosmos made small talk to try and ease the pain of thinking of what was to come.

Tidus and Yuna were well aware that everyone had caught on to their improvised conversations, and were tired of trying to fake cheer anyway.

Zidane had effortlessly picked up the job. "You know, I think I forgot to mention this, but did I ever tell you guys me and Dagger are officially married?"

"_Huh?_" Firion, who was getting a drink from a canteen, spewed out water at least a foot. "WHAT THE HECK!" he stuttered.

Dagger groaned into her gloves, gaining a chuckle from Kuja. She turned to glare at him between her fingers. "You should have seen it coming," he simply told her before lapsing back into silence.

Bartz turned around with his mouth wide open and burst out, "YOU TRAITOR! YOU SAID YOU HAD TOLD ME EVERYTHING!"

"I did tell you! Remember when I told you about Conde Petie?"

"That stupid ceremony?" Bartz asked, obviously downcast. "That was hardly a special occasion."

Zidane sucked in a horrified breath, putting an arm around Dagger and pulling her close. "What kind of friend are you to call my wedding a 'stupid ceremony'?"

"A smart one!" Dagger snapped, sliding out of his hold. "It was never legal, and you know as well as I do that we only pretended so we could get to the Iifa tree!"

"PRETEND?" Zidane cried. "It's because you ran off before the kiss, wasn't it? So hasty to get on with the honeymoon-"

"Ugh, do you ever shut up, Zidane!" Dagger interrupted him, her face starting to turn red. "It was not a wedding, the trip to Madain Sari was NOT a honeymoon, and of COURSE it was only pretend! Gosh, Zidane, I'm only sixteen!"

He shrugged. "Old enough to be legal in Treno."

"How do you…?" Dagger shook her head and threw up her hands in surrender. "You know what? Think what you want, but please don't torture the rest of us with your immature ramblings."

"Whatever you say, _Dearest Wife._"

Zidane smirked and slid over to Kuja. "She so wants me."

He rolled his eyes. "You need a lot of work, Brother. I'm sure Garnet and the rest of Gaia does not want a brainless, obnoxious king one day."

The thief gaped as Kuja simply walked past him with a half-hearted smirk on his face. Zidane put on his pouting face, and Dagger prepared herself for having to deal with Round Two.

Instead of sulking beside Dagger, Zidane insisted upon annoying his brother. The thief poked his shoulder, making Kuja recoil in disgust. Totally aware _everyone _could hear him despite the stage-whisper, Zidane asked, "So when we get back home, would you rather hide out with Mikoto or with me and Tantalus?"

"Why ever would I want to 'hide out' with you or Mikoto?" Kuja asked exasperatedly. "I hardly even know our sister, and I doubt she is willing to take in a brother she probably knows nothing of."

"Ah, she will when I get to her," Zidane assured him. The thief put his arms behind his head and mused aloud, "I wonder who she'll call 'Brother' first. We'll have a lot of work to do with her. She's not exactly expressive."

Kuja sighed. "That's because Garland, as we both know, wasn't the most caring 'father'."

Zidane shrugged and kicked up dust as he walked. "Guess not." A moment later, Zidane scowled and sullenly said, "You changed the subject. I've got to know for sure if I'll have to kick Blank out of my room and make him take the bunk with Marcus! Uh, until you find your own place," Zidane added with Kuja scowled himself.

"Zidane, I will not be staying with you."

"With Miki? Great! I think that between the two of us we'll-"

Kuja shook his head, making Zidane's smile slowly fade. "You just don't get it, do you, Zidane?"

Dagger pulled on Zidane's wrist to get his attention. "We're here," she quietly said.

Zidane gave his brother a wary glance and drew his daggers. "I'm not going to let you go off alone, Kuj," he told him, his fist tight against the hilts. "Gaia's your home as much as it's mine and Dagger's."

"…I'm not going to be alone, Zidane. And as for a home… I know I have one." Kuja pulled out the Chaos crystal. Black and maroon smoke snaked around the dark gray surface, making Cosmos wince. "When you get to Gaia, look up the poem 'Home' by the Baron of Cleyra. I believe you'd like it."

And with that, Kuja looked straight ahead and called, "Chaos! Show yourself!"

A low chuckle filled the air, just like last time. In one dark flash, Chaos appeared, lazily lounging on his throne. "You haven't enough yet?" he asked, getting to his feet. "If it's a battle you want, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until some other time. These past two days, I've invested my time in spreading plagues, famine and death to a few worlds."

He looked quite sincere as he scanned the faces of the warriors and said, "I hope you don't mind I killed your loved ones."

"Enough, Chaos," Kuja sighed, flipping back his hair. "Once is all you'll fool us, I'm afraid."

"You're quite sure?" he checked, unfolding his four arms. "Because I'm sure no one wants to see lovely Cosmos die at my feet. Of course, I won't be one to grieve the 'terrible loss'. A useless goddess as useless as that Gilgamesh fellow."

Chaos grinned as tension filled the air. "Your faces may not show it, dogs of Cosmos, but chaos still runs rampant in you. Order can never come from a bunch of rejects like you. Too many past sins, too many epic betrayals…. Ah, and so much lying! Even today, lies have been spat in your faces as a mockery. Home isn't what awaits you after this, warriors. Instead, you get double the dosage of pain and misery!"

Zidane's breath froze as Chaos pointed to him. "_Especially _to you."

Cosmos took off one of her necklaces. All of her glow dimmed and faded, her skin turned an ashy gray, and her hair fell limp. "Chaos, I've had enough of the fighting. I give to you my life in exchange for their departure from Dissidia."

Light's eyes grew wide. "What? You're sending us back? We can't go back- not without defeating Chaos!"

The goddess turned her despondent gray gaze to him. "You can't defeat Chaos," she said flatly. "Chaos is a manifestation of creation in its roughest form. If you destroy chaos, you destroy life as we know it."

Chaos greedily held out the two hands on his right. "She is right, kiddies. I am the string that holds your worlds apart from each other so they don't collapse into the entity call Nothing. A boring thing it is, actually. But it is powerful."

Cosmos seemed to wilt as she held out the illuminous necklace. "Farewell my warriors."

A scythe cut the necklace in half before Chaos could grab it. Astos's form fizzled into vision between Chaos and Cosmos. The silver-haired elf smirked at the astounded faces before him. Cosmos sighed in relief as she started to crystalize. "Thank you, dear Astos."

She turned into a tall statue of diamond, a smile engraved on her face. "You're welcome, Lady Cosmos," Astos replied. He turned to Kuja and nodded. "Time to go, friend."

Zidane grabbed Kuja's trailing sleeve as it started to fade into a deep red. "Don't you dare," the thief snarled.

Kuja only chuckled and pulled his arm away. "Astos and I will be staying here in Dissidia," he explained, his eyes flashing to deep red. "Here, we will be sure to keep Chaos company while you restore some power to those crystals."

Behind each warrior suddenly formed a dark blob. "I have to repay her, Zidane," Kuja said softly, turning to face Chaos. "Cosmos gave me a chance to learn a lot from you. I'm glad I can return the favor. Maybe this can also be my redeeming moment. Zidane… thank you. For everything."

"NO!" Zidane shouted, jumping forward. The mass started to pull him, as it did with the other struggling warriors. "Kuja, no!"

Kuja only smiled and charged forward with Astos, shouting out what would soon be considered his last words, "Make sure you get that kiss from Garnet!"

But what Zidane couldn't say aloud as the mass swallowed him whole, the tears running down his cheeks said for him.

**And now… I burst into tears.**

**Spark the Clairvoyant, Kuja is now officially dead. I hope you're happy. Celticskyedancer, I told you Rinoa would get half a chapter and… well… that wasn't exactly even 1/8. Sorry.**

**Well, a nice little plot twist begins next chapter. In the meantime, I will try and cope with the fact that I just killed off… Kuja…. *Cue overly-dramatic tears* I am such a horrible person.**


	25. Itsumo always

**Yay, a new arc! I almost considered starting a new fic (maybe called This Silent Kiss 2 or something of the like) since this is going to be COMPLETELY different from everything thus far, but I figured it'd be easier to just keep it to one fic.**

**The opening quote is from **_**Starry Heavens, **_**by Day After Tomorrow, which everyone would probably know as the opening to Tales of Symphonia. It's an awesome song, so check it sometime if you haven't ever heard it.**

**And has anyone heard about Dissidia 012? Best. Game (to soon be released). Ever. It will be, because Kuja is a Cosmos Warrior, and Kain Highwind is in it. Dozens of fan girls everywhere are screaming….**

**Onward to the chapter!**

**Chapter 25- Itsumo**

_That promise I made when you left will always remain in my heart…_

((((()))))

When Tidus opened his eyes, he saw a blurry blue sky above him. His whole body felt stiff and his head hurt too much to even consider worrying about where the heck he was. Instead, he cautiously sat up, looking around to see an open, wide field. Surrounding the grassy area was a long plateau and a strip of ocean. Somehow, it tugged at the back of his mind, like he had been there before….

Beside him lay Yuna, still unconscious with a tight grip on her guns, and Jecht, who seemed to be waking up too.

Tidus's father let out a groan and rubbed his head, barking out a gruff, "Darn spell! Think I left my brain back in Dissidia!"

He scowled out at the plains, slowly realizing the familiarity of them. "The Calm Lands?" Jecht thought aloud. "Haven't been here in years.

"We're not in Dissidia?" Tidus asked in surprise, looking around again. He realized Jecht was right- these were the Calm Lands. That meant beyond the plateau was Mount Gagazet, and behind them lay the Macalania Woods…. "Sp-Spira?"

Even more to his surprise, he looked across from Jecht to see the Warrior of Light and Mage, looking around in wonder themselves.

Jecht furrowed his dark eyebrows a moment before slowly shaking his head. "This should be Spira, if Kuja's crazy plan actually worked. You remember what happened, kid?" he asked.

"…Cosmos died. Astos came back, and he and Kuja didn't get sucked in like us. They didn't stay to fight by themselves, did they?" he suddenly realized in horror. "They'd be torn apart in a second!"

"Give them some credit," Jecht said, daring to stand to his wobbly feet. He shook his head and said, "They knew what was going to happen."

Light cautiously asked, "And what would that be…?"

Jecht closed his eyes and sighed. Tidus suddenly got an idea of what it was, as did Light and Mage themselves.

"They were going to die fighting for us."

((((()))))

A loud, excited clamor rang through the streets, echoing into the alley where Zidane, Dagger, Terra, and Celes were.

All of a sudden, Zidane's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright, shouting, "KUJA!"

Over the noise, no one outside the alley could even hear him, besides the girls.

They instantly awoke, but were stunned into silence as the sounds of the city registered in their minds. "Do… do you hear that?" Terra quietly asked. She peeked out into the city, eyes growing wide at the masses of people standing by. "We're… not in Dissidia…," she breathed.

Dagger frowned. "No, we aren't. But where…?"

Zidane shook his head, Kuja's last smile still stuck in his mind. "He did it. Kuja… he sent us out of Dissidia. Why would he do that?"

"Kuja said something about restoring power to the crystals," Celes remembered, looking down at the black and red stone. It reminded her so much of magicite- but it couldn't be, because Cosmos wasn't an esper. Still, didn't Tidus and Yuna's crystal look like something from their world, too?

"Welcome, one and all, to this year's Festival of the Hunt!" a familiar voice rang out, quieting the crowds. "Lindblum is proud to once more hold this momentous occasion of bravery and skill!"

"LINDBLUM!" Zidane and Dagger burst, exchanging incredulous looks.

((((()))))

"It's Tifa!"

"Tifa? Like, Marlene and Denzel's Tifa?"

"Yeah! It's her!"

"Then, he must be Cloud!"

"They're back!"

Cloud irritably scowled up at the two children standing over him. The incident in Dissidia came flying back to him. "Where are we?" he quietly asked the two kids, trying to wipe the glare off his face.

One, a little girl carrying a muddy, tattered moogle plushie, cocked her head in confusion. "You're in Midgar."

Cloud's hand shot out to wake Tifa up. Instead, he felt armor. He looked over and found Luneth and Arc, unconscious. The ex-SOLDIER frowned, noticing the other warriors weren't with them. He turned back to the children. "Thanks. Can you lead us back to the Seventh Heaven, then?"

The boy, who had scars from the awful geostigma he obviously once had, nodded and held out his hand to help him to his feet. "Sure!"

((((()))))

Bartz was starting to get annoyed. "Knock it off, Zidane," he mumbled. Still, something kept poking his shoulder. "Fine, fine, I'll get up!"

The wanderer sat up and yawned, then blearily looked around. A bright yellow chocobo suddenly jumped on him, happily letting out a very happy _kweh!_. Bartz gasped and threw his arms around it. "Boco! You're here!"

He suddenly realized that his beloved chocobo hadn't come to Dissidia. Bartz frowned and asked the bird, "Where are we, Boco?"

The chocobo let out another _kweh! _and stepped around Bartz to nudge Lenna's shoulder. The princess sat up, her hand instinctively going to pat Boco's beak. Her eyes went wide. "Bartz, do you know where we are?"

"Not in Dissidia?"

Bartz and Lenna turned to see that Firion, Maria, and Leon had tagged along with them. Firion pointed out, "I don't think there's a forest like this in Dissidia anywhere. Where do you think we are?"

"We're in our world. This is Boco, my chocobo," Bartz said, ruffling said chocobo's feathers. "I guess those big, ugly blobs plopped us off in my world."

Leon let out a weary breath. "Then he actually did it. Kuja used Cosmos's power to send us to our original worlds. It must not have been enough to send each of us to our worlds, apparently, though." The dark knight punched the ground. "That fool had to play the hero!"

"What do you mean, Leon?" Maria asked, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Kuja and Astos practically killed themselves to keep Chaos from destroying Dissidia. He threw us back in our worlds to restore power back to the crystals."

Bartz's happy smile faded away. "Then that's why Zidane yelled out. He knew that Kuja was going to die…."

The wanderer stood to his feet and unraveled the red scarf around Boco. He had tied it around the chocobo just before Cosmos came for him in what seemed like ages ago. "If we are really in our world, we need to go back to Tycoon Castle and speak to your father, Lenna."

They set off almost instantly, ignoring the stiffness of their joints and the constant and annoying ringing in their ears. The time to rest would come later.

((((()))))

"Your age has finally driven you mad, Cid."

"Your Highness, I promise you, I saw Kain! He's back! He was with a man carrying an unconscious girl and two dark knights- I swear! Don't you remember what Cosmos told us?"

Rosa sighed, trying to keep her uncharacteristic temper down. "I don't believe that woman for a second about Him, Cid. Besides, Kain banished himself from Baron. He wouldn't go back on his word so soon anyway."

The engineer scowled at Rosa, wanting to pack her up on his airship and _make _her go see that bunch with Kain so she'd finally belief him.

"Uncle Cid, Rosa," Rydia burst, rushing out onto the balcony. The summoner could barely contain her excitement as she said, "I heard you saw Kain! Is he back? Did he find Cecil? Why aren't they here yet?"

The only reason Cid didn't rub it in Rosa's face was the pained expression she now wore. Rydia's face fell as she looked between their now solemn faces. "…I just want us to find him," she said quietly. "Just to make for sure. I mean… what if someone else found him and is taking care of him? We can't give up hope that Cosmos was telling the truth, you know."

"Rydia… it has been too long," Rosa sighed. "Even if Cecil had been found, he would have recovered and come to Baron long ago."

"But… wh-what if-"

"Princess Rosa!"

The three turned to the gasping guard. "He… he's back. Kain Highwind has returned. He says he must talk with you right away."

Rosa took off running.

Cid shook his head. "She doesn't want to believe it, but she can't forget, either."

Rydia grabbed the engineer's hand and dragged him along. "Well, I _do _believe! I have to see what he's found out about Cecil!"

Cid eventually let Rydia run off herself. His age really had been affecting him lately; either that, or sitting around without any airships to repair or build had left him out of shape. He walked down to the courtyard at his own pace, musing to himself over Rosa and Rydia's not-so-hidden excitement.

He wondered which one of them would be right about Cecil, and if that goddess had been telling the truth herself.

A scream reached his ears and Cid took off running.

The first thing he saw as he burst open the doors to the courtyard outside was Rosa sobbing and a certain paladin on one knee before her. Kain and the three Cid had saw earlier hung in the back, trying their best not to be noticed so as not to interrupt. "Will you marry me?" Cecil asked. "I don't have the ring right yet, but-"

"Yes!"

Rydia jumped in the air, shouting in glee as Rosa threw her arms around Cecil, making him fall back on the ground.

Cid skirted around the two and walked over to a very silent Kain. "I think this counts as you being forgiven."

"I know."

Then Kain turned and left, Squall shrugging and following after him.

**I hope everyone noted my excitement for this new arc with this chapter being written in a day! Please, dear readers, remember to leave a little review. Thanks!**


	26. Hoshi star

**Duodecim rocks, plain and simple. Except for how they've included Vaan. Why not Balthier! He was awesome! Vaan was… just… **_**no**_**. Well, enough of my ranting.**

**For these next few chapters, one chapter will focus on one group/world at a time, so we're not all jumbled up like the last one.**

**If anyone notices, yes, the poem "Home" is really the song **_**Home**_** by Vanessa Carlton, but I tweaked it just a bit in the last "stanza". **

**The quote is by lovely Zidane.**

**Chapter 26- Hoshi**

_You'd think that with all the problems in the world there'd be more answers._

((((()))))

"LINDBLUM!"

Dagger grabbed the back of Zidane's shirt as he made a run for the city. "We can't allow ourselves to be seen! We'll ruin the entire hunt!" She waved for them to follow and slowly inched forward, ducking behind trash cans and other debris from last year's attack by Alexandria.

Once the four were hidden in a spot where they still had a good view of Artania and Regent Cid, they listened in to the announcements.

"However," Artania started, "this year's hunt is not in dedication to Cid Fabool I, but to one of Lindblum's very own former residents, Zidane Tribal."

Zidane instantly leaned forward, catching his every sentence, growing deep with more dread with each word. "As we are all certainly aware by now, Zidane led Gaia's most valiant heroes through the dreadful war that plagued us last year. To surely everyone's despair… he did not come back. He died a most courageous death, going straight into the Iifa tree to rescue Kuja."

A low murmur of surprise and revulsion rippled through the mass.

Scowling out at them, Zidane muttered, "Yeah, let's all talk about me when I'm _right behind_ you."

Dagger elbowed him and he once again fell silent.

Artania cleared his throat to silence them once more. "It was a deed most befitting of his compassion. To commemorate his actions throughout the war and his endeavors to save Gaia from a previously unknown assailant, Garland, we of the regency, Freya Cresent of Burmecia-"

"Freya!" Zidane burst in a hushed tone as the dragoon knight stepped forward with a stoic expression on her face.

"-Amarant Coral-"

Even Dagger was surprised to see the bandit with Freya.

"-and a young girl rescued from Terra by Zidane, Mikoto Tribal, his younger sister."

Zidane truly couldn't believe his eyes. Mikoto, dressed in her Terran attire, walked up to join Freya and Amarant. Freya put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, but Mikoto's blank expression didn't change in the slightest. Artania handed the microphone to Freya and stepped back to stand by Cid. The Burmecian took a deep breath before starting, "Zidane was more than a comrade in arms to me. He was my friend. Perhaps the best, even."

The thief's shoulders slumped at hearing his eulogy. Dagger patted his shoulder to try to comfort him. Freya continued after another deep breath. "When Zidane told us he was going back to find Kuja… we tried to stop him in any way we could. We figured that Kuja had already died within the Iifa, and that attempting to enter the tree would be suicide. Still… he was adamant about going. I always knew he would meet his end trying to save someone…."

Her last sentence seemed to be more to herself than all of Lindblum.

"And all I have to say… is that the world will never be as bright without that monkey." Freya passed the microphone on to Amarant.

The bandit gave the thing a skeptic look and shrugged. "I can't say he deserved to die, but the monkey's an idiot for having us make him seem like he was something amazing. He was a good thief, and he was strong- stronger than me. I hate that I never got a rematch from him."

Zidane rolled his eyes. "The one thing you _would_ care about."

Amarant shrugged again. "He will be missed, yada yada, and I guess, like Freya said, world's never going to be quite the same without him."

When Mikoto next took it, Zidane and Dagger both leaned forward a little more, even though they could hear the young genome perfectly.

Terra and Celes were both surprised to see how similar Mikoto and Zidane were. Zidane never really talked about Mikoto, or the rest of the genomes, and they never once knew his sister could practically pass for his twin.

Mikoto looked out over the crowd, as if she was searching for something. When she didn't find it, she said, "Zidane and his companions came to Terra in hope of finding Kuja and putting his plans to an end. Until arriving on Terra, he did not know of any of us genomes and the fact that he was one of us also. He and Garland fought, and then he and Kuja fought. Kuja set to destroying his home of Terra, and Zidane gathered us together and took us here to Gaia so we wouldn't get caught in the destruction. Before leaving again to fight the final battle with Kuja, he taught every genome and black mage a good lesson: that however small you are compared to a challenge, you can overcome it."

Mikoto frowned- her first expression yet. "But he didn't overcome his last challenge."

"Mikoto…," Zidane breathed.

The genome shook her head. "Before I even got to know him, he left us. From what has been told to me by the black mages and Gaians like you all, it seems Zidane was a most irrational and empathetic person to everyone he came across."

Mikoto looked hesitant for a moment, as if wondering if it was right to say what she next thought. When no one made any move to take back the microphone, she said, "It makes me feel… sad that I never got to know my… brother."

Zidane, ignoring Dagger's panicked look, jumped up in glee. "SHE ACKNOWLEDGED ME AS HER BROTHER!"

Terra and Celes palmed themselves and Dagger felt as though she died a little inside as everyone turned to see them.

It was a mad frenzy. Freya made a long leap over the crowd and landed perfectly in front of Zidane. She wasn't sure what to do or say, but Freya knew that if she was going to get any kind of explanation out of the genome, they would have to be far away from the harried multitude.

"You do realize the trouble you are in," Freya growled as she grabbed his waist and jumped.

"Meet you back at the caaaaaaaaastle!" Zidane shouted down below him to Dagger, and a very confused Terra and Celes.

Left unprotected from the horde, the three girls gulped, locked arms so they wouldn't be separated, and ran into it.

((((()))))

"Zidane Tribal!" Freya snapped once they were safely hidden and away from everyone else at the Tantalus hideout. Zidane really hadn't thought it possible for her face to turn so red, considering the gray fur, but Freya was madder than he had even seen before. "Where have you been the past year, and why haven't you come back to assure us you were safe!"

Zidane sighed and scratched the back of head- an action that only made Freya's fur bristle further. "I hoped Cosmos would have filled you in on the whole Dissidia thing, but I guess not. With my luck, she probably only told Rusty and Beatrix."

Freya jabbed a clawed finger into his chest. "Answer me right this instant, Tribal."

"Okay, okay!" he caved, taking a nice, long step back. "Well… it's obvious that I didn't die in the Iifa, right? Well, me and Kuj were about to get all skewered by some crazy vines, but Cosmos- she's sorta the goddess of Order- came and saved us by sending us to a place called Dissidia."

The dragoon looked horribly lost.

Zidane sighed and tried to put it into even simpler terms. Freya understood it all, of course, but the absurdity of it all…. "I got into the Iifa tree. I found Kuja and we…."

"…_I'm not going to be alone, Zidane. And as for a home… I know I have one." _

Freya's anger died down a considerable amount, seeing the pained look flash across his face. "You can tell me later. Dagger and two others were with you, weren't they? I suppose when she went missing, Dagger ended up in this… Dissidia?"

He nodded. "The others were Terra and Celes. They were two other warriors chosen by Cosmos to go to Dissidia. They're kind of from another world. Uh… dimension. Kind of."

"…I'll take your word on it," Freya only said. "I expect Dagger would go to the castle. I'll bring them back here."

"Wait!"

Freya turned around. "Yes, Zidane?"

She instantly turned wary at seeing the smug expression on his face. "So, without me, the world will never be bright again?"

Rolling her eyes, Freya opened the door.

"And I'm your bestest friend forever?" Zidane crowed as she stepped out.

Even as she jumped away, she could hear him shout, "I'll be sure to bring you with me next time I do something suicidal!"

When she was gone, Zidane frowned and slumped back against the wall closest to him. He slid down to the floor and let out a shaky breath, burying his face into his arms on his knees.

"Kuja…."

((((()))))

It took three dozen Lindblumese soldiers to safely and finally escort Dagger, Terra, and Celes to the castle.

In the aircab, Terra's face was glued to the window, looking over the city in awe. "Edgar would love this place," she finally said.

Celes nodded, turning back from the window herself. "I expect him to have constructed something like this around Figaro Castle while we were away."

Terra laughed, and replied that it was likely.

The two started talking about their world again, faces switching between sadness and happiness at every little thing, as if everything happy still had a downside. Dagger realized that the same could be said for her world. Every place she visited had been touched by pain, but the memories held there, good and bad…. It had mad her stronger. It was partly because of Kuja and all his destruction upon Gaia that she had become the person she was today.

With a wistful realization, Dagger remembered that if it had not been for Kuja, she would have never met Zidane. Zidane wouldn't have ever come to Gaia- except to destroy it.

She owed a lot to him.

And it made her sick to her stomach to know that he died without her ever getting to tell him "thank you".

"Whoa! Is that the castle?" Terra asked in amazement.

Dagger felt a small smile come to her face. "Yes, that's the regent's castle. My uncle Cid lives there. I think you both saw him earlier, right? The man standing next to Artania- the announcer?"

Terra nodded, excitement glowing on her face.

The aircab lurched forward as it came to a stop. Dagger reached for the handle- but someone outside yanked it open first.

"Dear Garnet!"

A pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a golden silk dress. Dagger blinked in surprise, the voice taking a moment to register in her mind. "Aunt Hilda!"

Hilda Fabool finally stepped back to let them off the aircab. "Oh, Garnet, dear, we were so worried! Where have you been? We searched everywhere!"

Dagger only shook her head. "Aunt, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. This is Terra and Celes. They were with Zidane and me."

The regent's wife gasped. "Then it's true? He is alive? Wherever is the boy, then?"

"I took him back home."

Hilda stumbled back in surprise when Freya landed right in front of her. The Burmecian apologized for the stumble and turned to Dagger, letting out a breath in relief. Freya was the first to finally notice Dagger's clothes. "You've been stabbed?" Freya burst in shock.

Dagger nervously looked down at the stone walkway. "Um… how about we go inside and talk? It's a long story."

Shaking her head in incredulity at the queen's newest antics, Hilda waved for them to follow them. "Will hot cocoa do for everyone? Stories aren't as good without a warm drink."

"Thank you, Aunt."

((((()))))

Zidane pawed through the stacks of books next to the clock works first. That was usually where Baku kept the old volumes of poetry used for extra punishment after a beating.

Scowling at each in distaste, Zidane tossed the ones he had been subject to read before over his shoulder. "Baron of Cleyra, Baron of Cleyra…. Aha!"

The thief blew off the dust on the thick book and turned to the index. Most of the poems, he remembered, had been adapted into plays Tantalus had done before, so he was somewhat familiar with him. He skimmed through the F's and the G's before finally finding the H's.

_Home, pg. 351_

Zidane flipped to it, ignoring the gnawing inside him. He had promised Kuja he'd read it, and he would.

_Some people live in a house on a hill._

_And they wish they were someplace else._

_There's nobody there_

_When the evening is still._

_Secrets, with no one to tell._

It was clear what the metaphor was in it all. "Home" wasn't where one lived. It was the things they lived through, their friends, the good and the bad times.

_Some live in shacks;_

_Cardboard boxes on concrete._

_All bluster and bustling life._

_They search for the color they can never quite see_

_Cause it's all white on white._

But the one part that said it all was the very last stanza.

_The faces I've come to know, _

_The things I've learned from all. _

_Even when I'm alone _

_I've always known _

_With these smiles I am home._

Zidane knew that this was the part where he found the meaning of life or something big and philosophical, but really… he felt nothing. Even after rereading the page a few times, all he found were empty words on a yellowed-with-age page.

Silently, Zidane closed the book.

((((()))))

"…and the last thing I saw was Kuja trancing and running for Chaos," Dagger finished. A cold, untouched mug of hot chocolate rested in her hands on her lap. "We have to restore Cosmos's power in the crystals so we can defeat Chaos."

Celes frowned. "But not destroy him."

Dagger nodded in agreement. "So I think we must use the crystals to trap him somehow, perhaps."

Hilda slightly frowned, her own cup just as cold and full as Dagger's. "…I'm not very sure what to think of your situation concerning Chaos, but what if Kuja was truly on Chaos's side? He had sided with him in the beginning, had he not? It could have been a ploy or some other scheme."

"No. I'm positive that Kuja was one of us," Dagger shook her head. _One of us._ "I have to admit he is a fair schemer, and a good actor, but I do believe he really did stay behind to give us a chance."

"In that case," Hilda started, raising up from her seat, "I'll have Cid contact Alexandria and Burmecia right away. We need to see if we can figure out how to restore power to your crystals. In the mean time, how about you girls retire to the guest rooms? Freya-"

The dragoon was already heading for the door. "I'll bring back Zidane as soon as possible, Lady Hilda."

Both Hilda and Dagger at the same time said, "Thank you, Freya."

The Burmecian left with a smile on her face.

"I'll show the way, Aunt," Dagger said, picking up her racket and holding it just so, so no one else could see the stain and hole on her clothes. It wouldn't do to have people swarming around, thinking she was still injured.

Out onto the mid level of the castle, Dagger traced her free hand across the walls, glad once more to be on familiar turf again. She dared to say Lindblum was like a second home to her. "There's really only one guest room, but it has three levels and about five beds, I think, so there'll be room enough for all of us. I think Zidane is going to stay with Tantalus, so we won't have to worry about him."

((((()))))

"Heck no!" the tailed thief burst. "I'm not staying here for anything!"

Blank cuffed him on the head. "Idiot! If you go outside, you'll be swarmed!"

"I'd rather face fifteen Zaghnols with my hands and feet tied up, blindfolded, and gagged instead of being here once Boss gets back," Zidane swore, making a beeline for the door.

Marcus tackled him, sending them both crashing to the floor. "Not so fast! Boss or not, you're staying here, Zidane! You can't expect to leave for a freaking year, come back suddenly, and not give any explanation as to where you've been and how the heck you got out of that tree alive."

Zidane struggled against the thief's tight hold on his arms and grunted, "Maybe I'm a ghost, then!"

"Wouldn't you want to haunt that Steiner dude instead of us, though?" Cinna asked, leaning on one of the giant clock gears in the hideout's corner with his prized hammer leaning beside him.

"Oh, believe me, he'll see the _best_."

Blank rolled his eyes, hand reaching out to grab a nice, long strand of rope. Zidane froze and gulped. "Sorry, Zidane," Blank said, slowly closing in on the thief. "But ya gotta do what ya gotta do."

((((()))))

"Here we are!" Dagger announced, opening the door wide.

A flying ball of bright yellow and sapphire blue shot out at her. Dagger cried out in surprise as the five year old knocked her down to the floor. Tears suddenly came dripping down on her.

Dagger blinked, recognizing the sobbing little girl in front of her. "…Eiko?"

The summoner threw her arms around her shoulders. "I th-th-thought that y-you had left for g…good…!"

The queen sat up, nodding that Celes and Terra could go on inside. Dagger shook her head and assured her, "I'd never leave any of you for good."

"Huh. So you didn't follow the jerk."

Dagger, Eiko, Terra, and Celes turned around to see Amarant and Mikoto. Both were expressionless- well, because Dagger couldn't see past Amarant's fiery dreadlocks she had to assume his expression was blank. Mikoto looked at Dagger, who hastily jumped to her feet. "Cosmos was correct in your swift return," she said in a monotone.

With really no idea what to say to the genome, Dagger only nodded. At least someone knew what was going on. It suddenly dawned on the queen that Mikoto probably didn't know that Kuja was dead. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to tell her- did Mikoto even know Kuja was her brother?- and if Zidane wanted her to know or not.

Before Dagger could even say anything, Eiko burst, "What're we doing out here? Dagger, you're back! We need to celebrate! Come on, Mog and I will call Quina over here right away so we can have lunch and watch the Hunt! Father tells me it's really fun to watch, so we can't miss it. When is Zidane coming? Ooh, I'm going to get on to him so bad!"

Terra giggled at the proud six-year-old's ecstasy. Eiko seemed to notice her and Celes for the first time. "Oh! Who are you two?" she asked in an almost suspicious voice.

"I'm Terra and this is my friend Celes. We were in Dissidia with Zidane and Dagger."

Eiko's eyes slowly narrowed. She spun on her heel and started to walk down the stairs, counting to herself. "He was alone with three girls, and since he isn't glued to Dagger's side, he might have given up on her. So that finally gives me an opening. I'll make Quina fix a plate of spaghetti and we'll both eat it, then we'll slurp up a noodle and kiss! It's classic!"

"Um, Eiko?"

The princess turned around, putting a spectacularly innocent face on. "Yes, Dagger?"

"We can hear you perfectly."

Her façade dropped and Eiko frowned. "And I bet you and Zidane are still going out?"

Dagger slightly blushed, but she nodded anyway, cueing an "Aww!" from Eiko. The little summoner only sighed, already seemingly used to the fact that Zidane would never be hers, and said, "Well, still. We can still watch the Hunt together, right?"

Shaking her head with a grin, Dagger replied, "Of course. But first, I've got to get changed."

Before she left, Eiko hugged Dagger's waist and mumbled, "I really am glad you're back, Dagger."

"Me too, Eiko."

As she turned away from the summoner, Dagger's eyes were sad with the realization that they wouldn't be staying long enough.

**Aha! So, the first actual chapter of this new, long arc! *Cue maniacal laughter* Oh, I can't wait for what's coming up next.**

**Actually, coming up next is the X chapter, which should be up soon, since next week is Thanksgiving and being with my crazy family is the best time to get some writing in. Not sure how that works, but it does.**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	27. Uchi home

**I'm apologizing in advance for this chapter: I was forcing myself to write it despite some SK writer's block, so if it sounds choppy and absolutely awful, I'm sorry. But I wanted to get it to you guys within a few weeks to try and set up some day I post each chapter.**

**The quote is from Balthier, whom should be in Dissidia, instead of Vaan. I am NEVER going to stop ranting about that until Square Enix finally decides to bring him in! Uchi means Home. I considered it for last chapter because of the poem, but then a sappy video on Youtube changed my mind and thus this chapter name was born.**

**Also, later Yuna mentions they had been in Dissidia a few weeks. Let's all start pretending the warriors were there for quite a while for the story's sake, shall we? **

**And let's pretend I don't make you all pretend and assume so much.**

**Please R&R.**

**Chapter 27- Uchi**

_Roses have thorns - this much I've come to expect. But you, my dear, poison yours. You've no sense of fair play._

((((()))))

"They were going to die fighting for us."

There was complete silence on the Calm Lands as it lived up to its name. The breeze carried a distant laugh from somewhere on the plain and a chill from the cool ocean. Tidus only shook his head, still aghast that Kuja and Astos would just let themselves die like that. Anyone else he would have understood, as horrible as it was to think, but not those two. Neither of them seemed to good-guy complex- not until the end.

That was pretty biased, Tidus also knew, considering he really hadn't known Kuja and Astos. At least, not as much as his father, Light and Mage. The blitzball star looked around at their solemn faces.

Light didn't make any leader-like response to that, and no one else looked like they had much to say, so Tidus asked, "How are we supposed to contact Rikku?"

Yuna immediately took out their crystal and flipped the switch on the bottom. Its battery must have completely died in Dissidia. The gunner sighed, suddenly falling on her back. She frowned up at the repulsively blue sky and muttered, "It will never happen, will it?"

She covered her eyes with her arms and said, "Before anything good can happen, we'll always loose a friend. Every time."

Jecht sat down next to her. "That's true. But you've got to remember, kid, that everyone's story has got to end sometime. One day, mine's gonna end, Tidus's will end, and yours will, too. Everyone has to suffer loss. But, you know, we've just got to keep moving on. Our stories can't stop for someone else."

"What if your story ended the second a new chapter began?"

Jecht turned around to scowl at Light, who had the kind of solemn face you'd see at a funeral. "Then that's called self pity."

Light only turned a paler shade of white, and went silent.

"Okay, I've got to know. You guys are keeping something from Yuna and me. What is it?" Tidus suddenly asked, crossing his arms. "Terra and Chaos knew, but they didn't get the chance to say. Just what are you hiding, Light?"

He didn't respond. Instead, in a quiet voice, he suggested, "Even if there aren't any in the immediate area, we should set to finding your friends before any fiends find us first. I don't suppose anyone is up for a battle, are they."

Mage's worried eyes flitted between Tidus, getting more annoyed by the second, and Light, who looked weary and on the verge of breaking. She understood why, too, and it made it even worse.

Light had failed. He promised that no one would die, but Gilgamesh, Kuja, and Astos did. Mage started to doubt that anyone else would make it through the rest of their journey unscathed.

As soon as she thought it, she realized it wasn't just a journey to restore power to the crystals, defeat Chaos, and save the day. It really was their story, just as Jecht had said, and if they were going to have a happy ending, they had to stop Chaos. They had to make sure Kuja and Astos's stories didn't end in vain.

"We're cranky because we're all tired," Mage pointed out coolly to try and calm Tidus down. "There seems to be a residence of some sort over there. How about we go and ask for a place to rest until the morrow?"

"That's Rin's Travel Agency," Yuna said, looking off at the rounded building. "Rin is a good friend of ours, so he'll let us stay the night."

"After we pay him an arm and a leg," Tidus grumbled, grudgingly following after the gunner.

Yuna only rolled her heterochromatic eyes.

((((()))))

"Welcome to Rin's…. Tidus?"

Tidus grinned. "The one and only. So, can you hook me and my friends up with a place tonight?"

The Al Bhed quickly shut his gaping mouth with an instant smile. "Right away, my friends. How many rooms do you wish to rent for your party? We have three currently vacant."

Tidus turned to Light. "Two," the warrior decided. "One for the girls, and one for us."

"Ah, of course. But there are two beds, and three of you."

"I'll take the floor," Jecht said before Light could. "Got any extra pillows?"

Rin nodded and fished for their room keys under the counter. "Here you are," he said handing them over. Before Tidus moved to go, Rin asked, "When did you come back, Tidus? It has been two years, and even I have took part in searching for you."

Tidus tossed him another smile and said, "Who said I even left? Saving the world puts you at the mercy of a lot of fame. I'm into sports fame, not the hero kind."

When he reached the door to his room, Tidus turned around and asked, "Could you not tell Rikku and the others that we're back until morning? I actually want some sleep before I'm subject to her wrath."

"Sure. Have a nice stay."

((((()))))

Yuna had to end up buying a new pair of pajamas for herself and Mage, and she felt so much better finally change out of her muddy clothes.

On the subject of clothes, Mage said, "I'm surprised my own clothing did not change back to their original look after Cosmos died."

The gunner shrugged, fluffing up the pillows on her bed- which she was incredibly thankful for after sleeping on dirt, cold tile, and rain for a few weeks.

"Maybe the spells she cast beforehand were permanent. Like… maybe I still have my Summoner powers," Yuna offered, combing out her hair.

She suddenly paused, leaning towards the door. Mage walked over and stuck her ear to it, also hearing it.

Rin had another customer, and they seemed to be talking their crazy language. They spoke too fast for Yuna to try and translate. "Dryhgc vun lymmehk ic, Rin."

"Oui yna famlusa. E fac dumt hud du ehvuns oui, cu pa lynavim."

The peppy customer happily chirped, "Ugyo!"

(Thanks for calling us, Rin.)

(You are welcome. I was told not to inform you, so be careful.)

(Okay!)

"Does she sound familiar?" Mage asked Yuna, her expression sour.

The gunner was grim as she replied, "Unfortunately." Yuna ever so quietly opened the door just a crack. Her face turned even darker. "Rin, you traitor," she grumbled, silently shutting it back. Yuna leaned up against the door and moaned, "I hope Tidus is ready for the apocalypse."

((((()))))

"RUNNING WATER!" Tidus cried, diving for the faucet. "Ah ah! And it's hot!"

"Geez, kid. You act like you've never lived a day out of Dissidia," Jecht rolled his eyes. Tidus ignored him and proceeded to splash some on his face, laughing at the simplicity of it all. "Hey, don't waste it all!"

"Ugyo!" someone outside cried happily. Next the guys heard Yuna groan.

Tidus turned off the water and wiped off his face. "Why did that sound familiar?"

Light and Jecht exchanged confused looks.

But instead of further investigation, Tidus sighed in bliss, falling back on his bed. "_Fluff_. Oh, and a real pillow- not someone's cape or my blitzball…."

Jecht rolled his eyes as he flicked off the light. "Pitiful, kid. Real pitiful."

((((()))))

Yuna wasn't sure when Rin bought alarm clocks for the room, or how the heck it had even been set, but she did know that were it not for Mage in the room, the thing would be chucked at the opposite wall, splattering into a thousand metal pieces and screws.

So, as to not destroy someone else's property, she fumbled to turn it off without opening her eyes from the semi-stasis of sleep she was still in.

As soon as the annoying buzzing clicked off, Yuna's eyes snapped open. "Rikku and Paine. They're here," she remembered in horror. _We're not ready for a karaoke party just yet, let alone how Rikku and Brother are going to freak out over Tidus and Jecht._

She hopped out of bed, yanking on a pink robe as she opened the door into the hallway.

Across the hall, the guys were still asleep- their awful storing made that perfectly clear. Afraid that a certain ecstatic Al Bhed would pop out, Yuna tiptoed back into the lobby. Rin was already at his faithful post. "What time is it?" Yuna asked, already aware it was probably long past noon.

"Ah, good morning. It is almost two," he said with perfect innocence.

"Okay. So, when did Rikku and Paine get here?" the gunner asked, just as innocently.

Rin's smile faltered. "I apologize. I had promised them before you arrived that I would inform them of anything regarding you or Tidus."

Yuna sighed. "I figured. Did they stay in the Celsius last night?"

"They took the last vacant room," Rin said, pointing to one right beside hers and Mage's.

"Then Rikku is planning to jump us once Tidus and the others wake up. Well," Yuna grinned, spinning on her heel, "I'll go ahead and wake them up early. Thanks, Rin."

_Oh, boy, I'm going to die if she drags us back for a party…._

(((((())))))

"_You can't be serious!"_

"_But we are," Astos said, eyes carefully averted from Jecht, Golbez, and Leon's appalled faces. "It's the only way- you know we aren't going to be able to defeat Chaos without a catalyst to break his power. Cosmos won't be enough."_

_Jecht turned to Kuja, who suddenly found his boots very interesting. Feeling Jecht's gaze on him, he sighed, "I hate that I have to go only for Zidane's sake. But he's the only one that doesn't want to skewer me on sight, so he'll get over it. But Jecht, you have Tidus. You're a father. And Golbez and Leon, I'm not going to steal you away from your family. Cosmos and I have already discussed the plan. All I need is for Zidane to get the Chaos crystal and I'll be able to halt his power's growth with it. That should keep the playing field leveled for when you go home to restore Cosmos's power within the crystals."_

"_Wait- we're going home?" Leon asked incredulously._

"_Cosmos taught me the spell," Kuja explained._

_Jecht angrily rose to his feet. "You idiot!" he burst. "It's not just Zidane, it's us, too! Did you honestly believe we'd let you two go along with this?"_

_Golbez grimly nodded, standing as well. "I agree. I can't sit by and allow you two to sacrifice yourselves for us. It doesn't matter who would be missed the least."_

"_It's the only way," Astos repeated coldly, glaring at them each in turn. "Our minds are set, and you can't stop us."_

"_And I'm supposed to be dead anyway," Kuja airily reminded them. "I was never supposed to get out of the Iifa tree. Neither of us were."_

_Frowning, Jecht said, "Zidane would punch you for saying that."_

"_Tidus would cry- don't deny it, we all knew he loves you- if you were in our place," Kuja pointed out with the role of his eyes. He finally stood up and crossed his arms, looking straight at Jecht. "I appreciate it, but- how does Tidus put it? My story is nearing its final chapter. Yours still has a long way to go, Jecht. You still have a lot to do."_

_It was no use trying to sway either of them, but Jecht still asked, "But how do you know your story doesn't still have a few chapters to go?"_

"_Because everyone writes their story, Jecht. It's not fate that determines what happens to us, but ourselves. And I've decided to end it there." Kuja slowly shook his head, turning towards the horizon behind him. "It's time for us to go. Edea is dead."_

((((()))))

An annoying strand of light had been on Tidus's face all morning long and, no matter which way he faced, it still ended up in his face, stealing an awesome night's rest. He yawned and slouched over to the door to try and hustle some food from Rin. If he really looked pitiful and broke enough, hopefully the Al Bhed would spare a muffin or something.

He almost ran into Yuna, looking quite sophisticated in a pink robe. To be fair, Tidus probably looked worse in his old muddy, crinkled clothes. "Uh… mornin'!"

She smiled, but her thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. "Good morning. Mage and I could hardly sleep with all the snoring going on your room."

"Blame my old man," Tidus shuddered in disgust. "He almost blew me and Light away with his awful honking."

Yuna laughed. "Well, do you think you're up to a surprise?"

Tidus instantly grew wary. "It was them last night?" he slowly asked. "Rikku's here with that other chick."

"Paine," Yuna nodded. "Rin ratted us out, but I'm sure Rikku had him at knife point."

They both stood there in silence a moment. "Are we gonna…?"

"Do you want to face Brother now or later?" Yuna dryly asked, walking towards the dreaded door anyway.

"I'm not sure," Tidus honestly replied.

Yuna knocked on the door.

…They were rewarded with silence. Eyes wide, Yuna muttered, "This cannot be good. Rikku? Paine? Are you in there?"

"Allow me," Tidus said. He cleared his throat and blew a screeching whistle. "RIKKU, I'M BACK."

His eyes slowly grew wide in terror as well. "What are they planning to do to us?" Tidus asked in a hushed voice.

Yuna slowly shook her hand, hand reaching for the door knob. "I don't know," she admitted, "but prepare yourself for flashing lights and a karaoke party."

She swung the door open wide.

((((()))))

"Truth or dare?"

"No."

"Mmm… how about charades."

Paine gave Rikku a look that dared her to suggest another stupid game. The Al Bhed sighed, forlornly setting her chin on her knees. "Are you sure we can't go and wake them up?"

"No."

Rikku cocked an eyebrow. "'No', as in you don't know if you're sure, or 'no' as in we can't go jump on Tidus and make him scream like a girl?"

Sighing, Paine put down the sword she had been polishing and said, "Rikku. We are not going to jump on anyone."

"But we can still wake them up?" she asked hopefully, bouncing on her bed.

"No-"

"RIKKU, I'M BACK."

She bolted to the door and swung it open. "Tidus!"

But Tidus and Yuna didn't notice her, both blushing like mad at the room across from theirs. "I-I'm so sorry," Yuna stuttered, cheeks aflame in embarrassment. "W-we had the wrong room."

The person inside slammed it in their faces. "We're failures at life," Tidus shamefully grasped, palming himself.

"Tidus!" Rikku burst again, this time getting his attention. She squealed in delight and practically jumped in his arms. "You're back you're back you're back you're-"

"Geez!" he burst, letting her drop.

Rikku stuck out her tongue and jumped back to her feet, just as excitedly as before. She turned away from Tidus and threw herself at Yuna, letting out a shrill, "Yunie!"

The gunner laughed, slightly stumbling from her friend's hug. "It's good to see you, too, Rikku."

Paine, whose expression had barely changed from bored to a small, pleased smirk, pulled Rikku off of Yuna. After giving Tidus a once-over, eyebrows raising at noting the similarities between him and Shuyin, Paine turned back to Yuna, eyebrows drawing together in confusion, and commented, "Nice look you've got going."

Yuna laughed. "You think so?"

Paine actually grinned, shaking her head. "Well, Brother has the ship around in Gagazet. We had to calm down the Ronso- Kimahri was sending out search teams for you."

"Oh… then we'll have to go and tell him not to worry, won't we?" Yuna said, wondering how much trouble she caused Lulu and Wakka if Kimahri was so upset. "Oh! But first, you two have to meet Mage and Light!"

As if on cue, the Warrior of Light walked out into the hall, looking wide awake and alert. He blinked at seeing Rikku and Paine. "You're… Yuna's comrades?" Light checked.

Rikku giggled. "You have horns."

Tidus groaned into his hands. "You just insulted the Warrior of Light."

But to the blitz ball star's confusion, Light chuckled. "I suppose it is silly, isn't it? Your father was still fast asleep when I woke up," he informed Tidus. "Until we figure out how to restore power to the crystals, I suppose we could… rest a while?"

"Who are you and where is Light?" Tidus asked. He grew grim. "Ultimecia?"

Light rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I figured that with all the fighting we've had to go through as of late you would want a break. But, if you would prefer we head off right away…"

"Eh… no thanks," Tidus said. He sighed, turning back to Rikku, Paine, and Yuna. The girls were already giggling over something- something Tidus hoped was _not him_. "Uh, so, if it's cool with you two, can we hang out on your ship?"

"YES!" Rikku burst, punching the air. She grabbed Tidus's arm and starting dragging him towards the lobby. The Al-Bhed took out a small metal remote-like device and gleefully exclaimed, "Brother, we've got guests! Fire up the karaoke machine, make sure Barkeep has some soda and popcorn ready!"

From the machina came a heavy accent: "Yuna? Is Yuna there!"

"I'm back, Brother!" she called, knocking on her and Mage's room. "We're getting ready to leave, Mage! Rikku and Paine are here already."

"I'll wake Jecht," Light offered, nodding to Tidus.

Rikku froze in mid-cheer. She looked over at Tidus with wide eyes. "Did Spiky just say Jecht?"

"Uh… yeah. Old Man was in Dissidia, too."

She let out a cry and shook his shoulders, yelling, "No no no! You're not a dream of the Fayth! Nooooo!"

Tidus slapped her hands away. "Rikku, calm down! I'm here, aren't I? And I'm solid?"

Rikku poked him once more for good measure before nodding in consent.

"Then I'm not a dream."

"You're not Shuyin?" the blonde checked.

"No."

A smile spread on Rikku's face again and she seized him by the arm, marching off towards the Celsius outside. "Good. I would scream if he was back. Do you know what he made me, Yunie, and Paine go through? It wasn't pretty. Used his ghosty powers to make us fight each other. Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask! Who're your friends? Are they from Dissidia too? Does Spiky have actual horns, or are they fake? What kind of name is 'Mage', anyway? Ooh ooh! Is it a codename? Is Mage a secret agent or something? That'd be so cool!"

Tidus turned around and mouthed "Help me," back to Yuna, who was explaining the situation to Jecht, who looked half-asleep still. Mage had her hat in her mouth, trying to pin her hair back while she gave Light a muffled lecture about "going easy" because of the gash in his shoulder. Without any white mages around to patch up injuries, everyone would have to be careful.

But then again, this was Spira and not Dissidia. There wasn't a war going on. Manikins didn't roam the land seeking blood. No, Spira had eccentric Al-Bhed and ostentatious flame-painted red airships piloted by a group of sphere hunters called the Gullwings.

Spira was safe, they were safe.

It really made Tidus wonder if the other warriors had ended up somewhere as safe as them.

**Okay, as I have said over and over again, was it not for Youtube and Final Fantasy Wiki, I would be absolutely NOWHERE in this story. That really was actual Al Bhed, and geez, did it take a while to type.**

**There was a lot of Rin's Travel Agency in this chapter. Not sure how that happened… but it did. I guess he has that affect on people (and O'aka, since I couldn't possibly leave **_**him**_** out).**

**Please review. And thanks so much to all of you that did for the last chapter! I nearly had a happy-breakdown from getting so many reviews at once.**

**DRYHG OUI! (More Al Bhed, heh!)**


	28. Isan Legacy

**Um, does everyone remember Kelger from the V prologue? Well… it turns out he's sort of dead. I blame Wikia for this, because on the page about Bartz, not once did it mention Kelger dying in-game! I apologize that I brought back someone from the dead that should not have come back.**

**But I have to admit Final Fantasy Wikia has made me love Bartz so much more now that I know his past! And Duodecim… I love it. Simply amazing… BECAUSE LAGUNA IS IN IT! Ahh, I love Laguna! I'm almost glad Rinoa isn't in it because of him! Now we get **_**double**_** the daddy-son action! I think in the new Jump Festa trailer it showed Yuna and Edea, too. Finally, a new villain to add to the mix!**

**Isan means Legacy (in honor of Bartz's father, Dorgann), and the quote is by Ramza, from **_**Tactics: War of the Lions**_**.**

**Chapter 28- Isan**

_If you need someone else to fulfill your dreams, it looses its value, wouldn't you agree?_

((((()))))

It was one of those times when Bartz had absolutely nothing to say. Not one little peep of a joke, or the makings of a story to pass the time. Ever since Lenna had met him, Bartz had only gone into this kind of silence a few times. Those times were usually when he was up high somewhere or the subject of his family came up.

The wanderer despondently patted Boco's neck, the chocobo curious about Bartz and Lenna's three new friends. Boco let out a happy _kweh _behind him, cuing a smile and small giggle from Maria, who promptly scratched his back.

"So, Boco, what've you been doing around here?" Bartz finally said, scratching his companion's neck. "Hanging around waiting for us to show up?"

Bartz laughed as Boco nipped at his hair. "Hey, hey, none of that! This style takes a long time to master, you know."

"You wake up with it," Lenna chuckled, messing it up further by ruffling it.

"It worked for Cloud, didn't it?" he swiftly countered.

Another bit of silence fell over him. Already the others from Dissidia were starting be referred to as in the past. "It still does," Bartz quietly corrected himself with another sigh. He shook his head, putting up a perky front, and turned around. "Tycoon Castle shouldn't be too far off, if we're in the right forest. Just a little while more and we'll run straight into it."

Lenna smiled and sang, "I hope Faris is there! My dear sister," she explained to Firion, Maria, and Leon.

"Your dear _mean _sister…," Bartz muttered.

The princess rolled her eyes and exasperatedly said, "The airship was the only way we could escape, Bartz."

"But she didn't have to push me on it! What if I fell off the side?"

"We weren't even airborne."

"Th-that's not the point!" Bartz stuttered, sullenly throwing an arm around Boco's neck. "You agree with me, don't you, Boco?"

In response, Boco nuzzled his cheek. Bartz stuck out his tongue at Lenna. "There. The chocobo has spoken. Faris is a mean woman."

"Are you afraid of heights, Bartz?" Firion asked in surprise.

The wanderer went pale. "Uh, well…. Yeah. See, when I was a kid, my dad and I were working on the roof- we were pretty stupid to be out there in the middle of winter, anyways- and I fell off the side. I broke my arms and leg in a few places and since then, I can't hardly remember half of my birthdays."

Maria winced. "Oh, that had to be painful."

"It was," Bartz dryly replied.

They finally broke through the forest, a white castle in front of them. "See?" Bartz boasted happily. "Tycoon Castle!" Boco echoed happily with a _kweh!_ and took off into a nice run towards the castle. "Go ahead and announce we're coming, Buddy!" Bartz called after him.

Bartz broke into a nervous laugh. "Now we've just got to get off this nice, tall cliff."

((((()))))

"Um, don't we have a job to do?"

Faris let out a loud yawn, reaching her hand out. Krile hesitantly handed her a glass of iced lemonade. "Eh, if that Cosmos chick said they'd show up, there isn't a need for us to go out and find that stupid Bartz. He'll take care of my sister, no matter how unorthodox the way is."

Krile sighed, dropping down into her seat next to the pirate captain. "But your father told us-"

The pirate turned to Krile and placated, "Krile. We're just the welcoming committee, interrogation team, and, probably, a sink to catch the tear-fest over Bartz's homecoming. Like I said, they'll both be okay. Besides, it's too hot to do anything, don't you think?"

The Bal princess was silent a moment, then she shivered and pulled up her knees. "Faris…," she slowly began, "I…."

Faris sat up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, Krile?" She looked up as a cloud covered the sun, a wide shadow falling over them. A foreboding hit Faris and a sour taste filled her mouth. In a low voice, Faris murmured, "It's not _him_, is it?"

Krile suddenly looked up, light coming back as the cloud moved away. "Boco?" she asked, standing up. The excited chocobo skidded to a stop in front of the two. He bobbed a red scarf in his beak at them.

They recognized it immediately. "Bartz's scarf?" Faris wondered, taking it in an attempt to soothe the ruffled chocobo.

"Come on, Faris!" Krile cried in glee, jumping on Boco's back. She held her hand out to the pirate, who had a smile inching on her face. Faris took her hand and jumped on Boco's back. "Take us to Bartz and Lenna, please!"

"If my father asks," Faris told Krile as she put her arms around both her and Boco's neck to make sure the girl didn't fall off as Boco ran, "we found them and we deserve a reward for doing so. My ship needs an upgrade."

Krile's laughter was left on the wind.

((((()))))

"There are two other worlds connected to yours?" Firion asked in surprise upon hearing Galuf and Krile's homeworld.

Bartz nodded. "And an Interdimensional Rift, but that may or may not be the Void. You'll have to ask Krile about that. We're not sure why, but Krile can talk to the dead and all sorts of crazy stuff."

The three siblings exchanged a wary look. Maria slowly started, "This… Krile. She can really talk to the dead?"

"Yep," Bartz replied, slipping slightly on the gradual slope they were climbing down. "She talks to her grandfather, Galuf, all the time. Crazy stuff."

Firion frowned. "Maybe not _so _crazy. After all, Josef was there with us after we defeated Mateus and went back to visit Hilda…."

"Heeeey!"

Bartz and Lenna's faces lit up. "Krile!" Lenna burst, running to meet the two and Boco. The girl jumped off of Boco and ran to meet Lenna, laughing all the way. "I can't believe you're back!"

Faris actually smiled at Bartz without even realizing it. "I see you're back, Feather Brains."

"Is that sarcasm I detect?" Bartz joked, grinning back at the pirate. He turned around to Firion, Maria, and Leon. "This is Captain Faris, and that's Princess Krile. We're the amazing Warriors of Light when together. _And_ we all have cool titles."

"You don't," Faris pointed out.

Bartz frowned. "Yeah, I do. 'Wanderer'. Isn't it mysterious?"

"That's… not a title."

"Well, my dad was a Warrior of Dawn. Your dad wasn't."

"My father is the King of Tycoon, I'm the rightful heir to the throne, and I'm the youngest and only female pirate captain in the world." She smiled mockingly at Bartz, who had a massive pout on his face. "I think that's a bit better than you."

Bartz turned back to Lenna with a scowl. "Told you so."

Lenna rolled her eyes and moved over to her sister. "Bartz thinks you're a cruel, evil witch."

"HER WORDS NOT MINE!" the wanderer yelped, ducking for cover behind Boco.

Krile suddenly sobered the moment by clearing her throat. "Um… I think we should head back to the castle. We some things we have to… discuss."

Bartz and Lenna exchanged worried looks. Bartz helped Krile back up on Boco. "We can talk on the way. We'll be up all night if we wait until we get to the castle to talk."

Faris nodded to her, signaling it was okay.

"I feel Exdeath here." Krile hugged Boco's neck, hiding her face from everyone. "He's back and he brought an ally. There's so much malice on the wind… Exdeath and that man cannot be up to any good."

"Chaos must have sent them after us…," Leon guessed, kicking a loose rock at his feet. "That means Chaos isn't strong enough to reach us. Their plan worked."

"Of course it worked," Bartz said quietly. "Kuja was smart, and Astos knew how to get a job done. Neither of them, I assume, were the type to die in vain. At least from what Zidane told me about Kuja, _he _definitely wasn't."

Leon sighed. "Astos wasn't either. But he told us he had a son that Garland killed back in his world because he hadn't been able to defeat Light, Mage, and the others in battle. I think he died partly to avenge his son, too."

"Who were Kuja and Astos?" Krile asked. "Friends?"

Bartz nodded. "They were two warriors from Dissidia, this crazy place Cosmos took us to so we could fight off Chaos and keep our worlds from falling apart. We fought a lot, and…. Gilgamesh was there. But he died in battle."

Krile looked back at Boco, a frown starting to form on her face. "Gilgamesh…." she shook her head. "I just can't believe that he'd stay behind in the Void like that in order to let us go."

The Dissidia warriors suddenly stopped, realization hitting them like a wild chocobo. Bartz turned around to Firion, who nodded in agreement. "If the Gilgamesh from your world is still in the Void, maybe he could help Rinoa find her way out. Maybe they could both find their way out."

Lenna tapped her chin. "I think there's hope for Rinoa yet, actually. Exdeath and Enuo were only able to send her spirit to the Void. Squall still has her body, though, right? So if we could find a way to contact her spirit…."

"…We could tell her to find Gil and work together to find a way out," Maria finished with a snap of her fingers. "Krile. Bartz and Lenna told us you have ties to the Void, right? Could you tell us a bit about it?"

She thought a moment, trying to decide what would actually make the most sense. "The Void is sort of like an afterworld of sorts," the Bal princess finally said. Krile picked at Boco's feathers and continued. "Not necessarily like limbo, but like it, if that makes sense. It's a realm of indecision and complete and total nothingness. You can bend it however you want, if you had the power to. I guess that's what Exdeath was- _is_ after. If the Chaos fellow you all talked about was to gain control over the Void and this Dissidia place, a realm that connects all worlds, then he would have complete control over everything in existence."

"That's not good," Firion unnecessarily pointed out.

Bartz shook his head. "No, it's not. We need to hurry and restore power to our crystals so we can get back to Dissidia and tell this to the others. Or… if we could find some way to talk to Rinoa, we could tell her keep her guard up against Chaos if he's after the Void and Dissidia."

Silence fell over them all, the only noise coming from a happy trill from Boco when Krile scratched his head.

((((()))))

There was a lot to be done, but first they had to restore power to the crystals, however that worked. It would have been nice, Bartz figured, if Cosmos or Kuja or even Astos had given them any idea how to do that, but Chaos might have overheard and came up with a plan to stop the warriors.

But before they set out to do something about the crystals, King Tycoon treated them to dinner.

Bartz and Lenna sat on his right and Faris on his left at the head of the banquet table. Krile between Faris and Firion, who wanted to know more about her power to speak to the dead. Maria and Leon sat across from their adoptive brother.

Whether it was a good thing or not, Bartz started the first conversation. "Your Majesty?" he started politely, looking innocently to the king. "I have a bit of a favor, if you don't mind."

Lenna gave him an inquisitive glance, but Bartz only grinned. "Of course," Tycoon replied. "Anything you like, my boy."

"Can I call you Dad since Lenna and I are a bit of thing now?"

The King started to choke.

Bartz blinked and everyone froze, gaping as the king hit his chest, actually choking on his food.

Lenna shot up out of her seat and bolted to his side. "Daddy!" she burst, hitting his back. Faris rushed to the rescue and gave her father a solid punch to the stomach. Tycoon sucked in a breath and glared at Bartz, forgetting to give Faris a thank you.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Lenna groaned and dropped her forehead on Faris's shoulder as Bartz broke into a laugh. "I want to know if I can call you Dad!"

Tycoon went pale and unnervingly silent. Krile slightly gaped and Lenna's face was the same color as her pink hair. Like her father, Faris was just as dumbstruck at the smiling adventurer's face.

With everyone staring at him, Bartz slid down in his seat and obliviously asked, "What?"

And the royals exploded.

((((()))))

"Honest, I didn't know he'd start choking like that," Bartz swore as he unlocked the pen gate where Boco was.

Lenna rolled her eyes. "Right. Well, are you sure you can't wait until morning to go out riding Boco?"

"Ride him?" Bartz asked. He plopped down in the hay next to him. "Nope. I'm sleeping here."

"On hay in a barn out in the cold?"

"Boco's a good pillow. He'll keep me warm."

The princess failed at keeping her smile hidden. She shook her head in disbelief when Bartz laid back against Boco, wrinkling his nose when Boco nipped at his hair again. "I said to stop that! Geez, Boco!"

Lenna turned towards the castle. "I'll bring you down a blanket then, okay?"

Bartz grinned. "Thanks, Lenna."

When she was gone, his smile faded. "I'm glad to be back, Boco, but…. I didn't want to come back if it meant having to leave again. We've got _all _the worlds riding on us now, and people have already died."

He sighed and covered his eyes with his arm. "I don't want anyone else to die, Boco. I don't want us to have leave everything behind and come back to nothing."

Boco let out a quiet rumbling purr and settled his head on Bartz's shoulder.

"It's not just you and me anymore, buddy. I got tangled in with all these other people and… and I'm not sure what I'm going to do if I lose any of them."

Bartz shook his head, staring up above him at the starry sky.

"I just don't know…."

((((()))))

Rinoa and the woman in front of her simply stared at each other a moment, both startled to find one another. Rinoa looked at the yellow lily in her hands and asked, "Did you lead me here?"

The brunette shook her head, surprised. "No… who are you?"

"I'm Rinoa Heartilly."

The woman smiled and looked down at the lily in her hands. "You seem like a nice person, Rinoa." She looked up with worry in her eyes. "But you look like you came from a battle. Are you okay?"

The sorceress blinked, feeling like the battle had happened ages ago. It was pushed to the very back of her mind now. For what seemed like days she had wandered through the Void, following that lily, without any real thought besides finding a way out.

All the yellow lilies around her in this field reminded her of a special place.

But what?

"Oh! How silly of me," the woman suddenly laughed. "I forgot to introduce myself."

Rinoa saw her mouth move, but there was suddenly a numbness that washed over her. _That place… that place- where is it? Why is it important?_

Aerith cocked her head and frowned as Rinoa picked a lily and studied it critically. Rinoa finally shook her head, lips trembling. "I can't remember. I can't remember!"

"Remember what?" Aerith asked, alarmed as Rinoa collapsed on her knees. "Rinoa, what's wrong?"

"I can't remember who I was supposed to meet there!"

**Boy, Bartz and the rest just keep this plot going, don't they? You have no idea how much I'm in love with Bartz after getting into V. He's my new little angst-weapon, like Zidane and Kuja are. They and Rinoa are just going to tear things apart and make such an angsty mess.**

**I love it. Please R&R!**


	29. Garasudama Glass

**Ah, this quote…. It comes from an AMAZING song called Karma. The chapter name means glass, or marble.**

**Hopefully little bits and pieces of what is to come will show up in this chapter. All the better to confuse you, little readers (cue maniacal laugh)! Please review, everyone!**

**Chapter 29- garasudama**

_A single shard of glass was dropped, others soon followed, slipping from grip. Happening in one moment's silence, only one was left._

((((()))))

Cloud felt hollow inside as Tifa retrieved the spare key to the bar from the potted plant outside. Neither of them knew what it was- it had been a one-year anniversary gift from Yuffie, who claimed that the stupid weed symbolized something in Wutai, and that if they didn't accept it, they'd be cursed. Not that Cloud believed in curses and all of that, of course, but he took it anyway out of fear that Yuffie would mercilessly bug them further if they didn't.

The nearly silent click of the lock echoed in his mind. The smell of alcohol hit him full blast as Tifa opened the door and gingerly took a step inside. With a small smile on her face, she turned back to the warriors and said, "Welcome to the Seventh Heaven."

As soon as she had said it, a pair of legs dashed downstairs. A shrill cry erupted from the small little girl. A boy with a mop of brown, mussed hair ran down at the cry, a large man with a gun on his arm not too far behind. For a moment, both parties stood in silence. Then Marlene squealed again and ran into Cloud. A smile broke out on his face as he twirled the girl around, seeming to ignore everyone else in the room. "I've m-missed you, Cl… Cloud," she sobbed through her laughing.

Denzel finally ran down and hugged his waist. "You're back, Cloud!"

"Well, I'll be," Barrett said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Cosmos was right."

Cloud smiled up at him- a sight Luneth and Arc couldn't believe. "Good to see you too, Barrett." The ex-SOLDIER turned his attention back to the sobbing little girl latched to his leg. "It's alright, Marlene," he said, hugging her. "We're back."

"I-I thought I'd n-never see y…you again," she sniffled. "Don't leave me ever again, Cloud."

His smile faded. Marlene turned teary emeralds up at him. "Cloud? You… you have to go soon, don't you?"

After a moment's silence, he nodded. She burying her face in his chest and started a new round of sobbing. "But once I get back," he promised both Marlene and Denzel, who stared dejectedly at the floor, "I promise I'm not going to leave anymore."

"Forever," Marlene added with finality.

"I'm not going to leave anymore forever," Cloud affirmed.

Marlene smiled and refused to release his waist the rest of the day.

((((()))))

When Tifa and Cloud had settled Marlene and Denzel down, Tifa immediately went into the Seventh Heaven's kitchen to get some hot dinner ready. She nearly melted into happiness when her eyes looked to her beautiful refrigerator. Tifa vowed to keep the appliance as spotless and clean as she possibly could from now on.

Cloud was explaining all that had happened to them to Barrett, who took it all over a mug of Tifa's finest. Barrett took it well enough.

Only because of Tifa's glares reminding him of the children present at the bar, most likely, but he was relatively calm none the less.

"Avast, ye land scum!"

All eyes turned to Denzel and Luneth, dressed in random garbs of clothing. "Is that my curtains!" Tifa burst in despair.

Denzel turned and grinned to her. "Arr, it be."

She groaned into the counter top. "Let them have their fun, Teef," Cloud chuckled. "After all- IS THAT FENRIR'S BIKE STAND?"

Luneth blinked, looking down at the small metal pipe he'd found outside on a chunk of metal. "Fenrir? What's a Fenrir?"

Cloud ran up to him, both the onion knight and Denzel trying to scramble back outside to escape Cloud's wrath. "What did you do to my bike!"

Outside, the fuming blonde found a very guilt Arc, who stuttered out the excuse that he was practicing a new fire spell. Cloud cried out in fury, diving for his decimated bike.

"Aah! Not my fault! _Not my fault_!" Arc screeched, jumping for cover behind Luneth.

A long while, the boys' frightened whimpering came to an end. "…Cloud?" Denzel sheepishly started. "…Are you okay?"

Another moment of silence. Tifa and Barrett inched towards the door. Cloud stood over a heap of metal laying on the ground. "Yes, Denzel, I am okay," he finally said in a tight, strangled voice.

Tifa's eyes went wide. "B-boys, how about you come inside now?" she slowly started, inching away from the door herself.

They took one last final look at Cloud, whose eye had starting twitching a little, and ran inside to duck for cover behind Tifa.

The bartender quietly nudged the door shut with her foot.

((((()))))

"Cloud needs the screwdriver again, Tifa," Marlene called from the back door. Through the tiny crack, one could just barely see Cloud Strife leaning over his motorcycle with black smudges of oil on his face.

"Tell him I'm almost finished with dinner, please," Tifa said, handing the girl a screwdriver and a rag to wipe his face off with. Tifa shook her head as Marlene skipped outside, relaying the promise of good, warm food. Cloud dejectedly gave Tifa a thumbs up before delving back into repairing his bike.

When Tifa turned around, a wide-eyed face suddenly popped up in her vision. Tifa let out a cry, almost dropping the glass she had been drying. Yuffie jumped in the air and squealed. "YOU'RE BAAAACK!"

The ninja jumped onto Tifa and squeezed her tight, restricting air flow. Tifa frantically tried to push her off, but Yuffie was unrelenting in her hugging. Until she saw Cloud.

"CLOUUUUUD!" she burst, jumping on his back. "Ouch," she hissed, "I think your hair just stabbed my throat."

"GET OFF OF ME!" Cloud roared, all but throwing the ninja off his back. Marlene giggled at the sight, and Cloud mumbled something under his breath and turned back to Fenrir.

Yuffie took Marlene's hands and started to jump up and down, singing, "They're back, they're back!"

Both girls remained outside giggling until dinner.

Dinner at the Seventh Heaven was crowded. _Very _crowded, once people outside noticed the crowd Tifa was serving and poured in the bar themselves. Soon, Tifa had put Barrett to work at regulating who came in and who couldn't- old friends and frequent customers only- while Cloud moved his bike and tools to the garage.

((((()))))

The night seemed to stretch on forever, and yet still more and more customers came in to see Tifa. She had given Luneth and Arc jobs at washing dishes with Marlene and Denzel while she took a break.

"Yo, ya bunch in the back! Give me three of the house's finest."

"We're kitchen duty," Luneth yelled back, looking over his shoulder. A blonde man with a toothpick in his mouth sat at the counter, impatiently looking in for Tifa. "'Sides, I'm too young to serve."

"Where's the server, then!"

Arc rolled his eyes. "No wonder Tifa took a break upstairs. Impatient drunkards outside."

"WHAT'D YA SAY 'BOUT ME!"

The blonde man jumped over the counter and marched back to the kitchen. Arc attempted to hide from his wrath behind Luneth, but the boy was pressed up as close as he could get to the sink. Ignoring the warriors' terrified faces, Marlene waved at the blonde, who seemed to calm down a fracture at seeing her. "Hello, Cid. Tifa's upstairs and Cloud's in the garage working on Fenrir."

"Cloud?" Cid asked in a strange accent Luneth and Arc hadn't heard before. "When'd that sorry lump get back?"

"Earlier this morning! I'll get Yuffie to get you a drink while I go get him for you, okay?"

Cid smirked and patted her braided hair. "Thanks, Kiddo." As soon as she had skipped out of sight, Cid turned his fiery glare back to Luneth and Arc. "Yins had best not mess with the little girl," he threatened, punching his palm, "or else yer gonna have me and Barrett to worry 'bout."

Denzel rolled his eyes as Cid laughed madly and walked from sight. "He's all talk. Don't worry, guys." But when Denzel turned around to look at the two warriors, they were gone. "Uh, Luneth? Arc?"

"Under here!" Luneth stage-whispered from their hiding place in a large cabinet beside the sink.

Arc gingerly poked his head out, searching to see if Cid was still nearby, before stepping out behind Luneth. The two old friends turned to each other and nodded solemnly in agreement. "Definitely worse than Refia," Luneth decided.

"I hope he doesn't have a hammer."

((((()))))

Aerith smiled. "It's alright that you don't remember. After all, if you forgot so easily, it must not be important. Right?"

Rinoa dropped to her knees in defeat. That one moment- that one promise- was all a blur. She couldn't see that young man's face and couldn't recall his voice. The memory was already fleeting away until she could barely remember forgetting.

The Ancient turned around a moment and cocked her head at something in the distance. "Want to switch?" she asked in mock politeness.

There was something else about the woman Aerith transformed into that tugged at Rinoa's mind. The sinister smirk that made her feel useless and the elegant, flashy robes were so familiar. The woman ran her fingers through Rinoa's hair, making her involuntarily shudder. "Play nice with Sephiroth, now."

Ultimecia's cackling laugh turned the golden flowers back into a harsh barren desert devoid of color. The sky turned black and Rinoa felt the sudden urge to sleep.

She couldn't sleep.

She remembered.

This man with chaos in his eyes was an enemy.

((((()))))

"I tried calling Vinnie, but he only hung up on me," Yuffie sadly announced at four that morning. It had taken a lot effort (and shouting) on Barret and Cid's part to get the bar empty again. Luneth, Arc, and Denzel were struggling to keep awake. The instant Marlene had found Cloud, she sat down on his lap and fell asleep against his shoulder. Yuffie frowned and plopped down at the counter, resting her elbows on the sleek marble.

Cloud scoffed, still miffed about the bike incident, but calmed down somewhat to where he could stand to be in the same room as Luneth and Arc. "And how many times a day do you call him?"

She muttered something in Wutai, signaling her defeat.

Tifa rubbed her forehead to ward off a growing migraine coming on. "It's late, everyone. Today's been a hectic day. Barrett, can Denzel and Marlene stay one more night with you? Luneth and Arc don't have a place to sleep."

"Oh, that's okay, Tifa," Luneth interrupted Arc's happy cry. "Marlene will be mad if she has to leave Cloud. We can sleep on some blankets in the floor."

Almost as if to agree to this, Marlene draped her arms around Cloud's neck in her sleep. Cloud stood up, quietly announcing he was going to put her to bed. Denzel wearily got up and trudged after him to his own bed upstairs. Tifa smiled.

_This is what I love about you, Cloud Strife._

Tifa suddenly stood up, cheeks turning red at her own thought. "I'll go get you some blankets, boys." _Great excuse, Lockhart. Very inventive._

_But… _She shook her head, lingering in her room's doorway. _I guess there's no more denying._

_Cloud. I do love you._

((((()))))

"Hey, Arc? Are you awake?"

The black mage yawned and rolled over on his side. "What, Luneth?"

The blonde frowned, scowling up at the ceiling. "I'm worried about the others. Rinoa, Terra, and Dagger."

Arc sighed and sat up with another yawn. "They're okay. I bet they're in other worlds like us. Squall isn't going to let anything else happen to Rinoa and he's going to find a way to bring her back," he assured his distraught friend. "Celes won't let anything happen to Terra, and if I know anything about Zidane, he'd sooner cut off his tail than let something touch Dagger."

He changed the subject. "What about the enemy?"

"Yeah," Arc frowned, fingering the hem of his blanket. "Seymour, Ultimecia, Sephiroth…."

"…Exdeath and Enuo, the Emperor, and Garland. Seven. And there's twenty two of us, counting Jecht and Golbez. But with Rinoa out, we're down to twenty one. That's three warriors per enemy. Of course, we have to take Chaos's power into consideration. Chaos is only getting stronger with Cosmos gone, and he'll no doubt make the last seven villains stronger too. We're scattered and still shocked over the sudden change of events and surroundings, so we're at a disadvantage despite our numbers," Luneth explained, his trembling lips seeming unable to stop. Explaining things was his forte, the one thing he was best at. So when there was nothing else to be done, why not ramble on about the friends he had began to doubt?

A nagging thought in the back of his mind had started whispering nonsense since he first arrived in Cloud and Tifa's world. _Friends will be lost. Worlds will shatter._

_You will lose this cycle, little warrior._

Luneth had always wondered what "this cycle" meant. Had all this happened before? All of the fighting? He suddenly wished Cosmos were still alive so he could ask her some questions about just what was going on, exactly. Too much had happened at once with little proper explanation. What was Kuja thinking, anyway? To stay behind and die while he sent them off into the great unknown…. It bothered Luneth in more than one way not to know.

Friends will be lost. More? These people had gotten to know on the battlefield, who took the place of his family…. Were they to die, Luneth wouldn't know what to do. Seeing Bartz and Terra so shaken up when Gilgamesh died had honestly terrified the onion knight. Luneth had grown up as an orphan in a small village. He didn't have many friends or any family at all, save Arc and the priest who had taken him in as a baby, and he hadn't ever lost any of them. He didn't know what true loss was.

The unknown was a scary thing. That was why he wanted to know everything there was to know.

Arc noticed his friend's trembling hands. His sleepy scowl turned soft. "Listen, Luneth," he started, scooting over closer to him. "You were in Dissidia longer than me. You fought more battles, had more trouble, experienced more loss."

The mage pulled the covers up over him. "Now it's time for you to rest. We're safe here, Luneth. Chaos may be getting more powerful, but we've got an advantage, just like you said. We're best friends. Not just us two, but with everyone we met in Dissidia. No matter what Chaos or those other guys may throw against us, we have a certain fighting spirit that all but guarantees we'll win. We always do. Even with the odds against us."

Luneth's strong front was starting to break. The memories of his friends were growing more painful every time the image of their smiling faces came to mind. Bartz and Zidane making silly jokes, Squall trying his hardest to pretend he didn't like them. The Warrior of Light with his quiet, serious, protective face, always looking out for his warriors. Terra and her comforting arms when she hugged him goodnight before they went to sleep. Firion, Tidus, and Cecil, all of whom taught him all sorts of things- weapons, dreams, and honor. Cloud who, despite how everyone else and sometimes Luneth himself was a morose, lonely guy; always took the time to make sure he was alright after every tough battle.

It was getting harder to hold the flood swimming in his eyes at bay.

"My point is, you don't have to be strong right now, Luneth. Let us handle it for a little while."

And the flood of frightened, lonely tears burst from his eyes in an instant.

Folding in on himself, Luneth silently sobbed for them.

((((()))))

Breakfast was something everyone in Dissidia had dearly missed. Day after day, their only meal was soup.

So when Tifa fixed fried eggs, sausage, toast, and pancakes, Luneth and Arc were sure they had died and gone to Heaven. The smell instantly woke the two boys from a sleep they didn't remember drifting back to after their midnight conversation. Luneth was in a considerably better mood, gobbling his food down with little regard to table manners.

Marlene thought he was utterly hilarious and had decided that whenever she wasn't with Cloud she would be with him. This made plenty of memories of Cid's threat come rushing back. After that, Luneth wasn't very hungry anymore.

Cloud was showing a side no one knew he had- Tifa had almost forgotten how kind and gentle Cloud Strife could be. He spent all day outside exploring with Marlene and Denzel and introducing Luneth and Arc to all sorts of people.

The ex-SOLDIER had even agreed to a trip to the church to look at the flowers. The first step he took inside the nearly decimated building echoed across the quiet floorboards. Aerith's flower garden was as golden as ever. It reminded him of the sun in the Rift. Bartz, Lenna, and Gilgamesh came flying back at him. Cloud's lips twitched, but he caught himself before he frowned. Marlene was counting on him to be happy, and he wouldn't dare let her down.

Not when everything about her reminded him of Aerith….

If he only gotten there a bit sooner, he could have saved her. If he hadn't let go of Gilgamesh. If he had caught onto Kuja and Cosmos's grand scheme before they….

So many "what ifs?" were in his life. Too many regrets. Sometimes, he just wanted to forget it all and just start over with something completely different. A new life, maybe. Of course he knew that there were so many good memories he would miss out on if he led another life, but thousands of nightmares worth good moments with friends?

Rationality told him no. But Cloud knew better than to think something better could be out there. He had a family, he had a home, he had a bike in the garage that was almost fixed back to perfection.

But most of all, Cloud had a duty to the kids in front of him. Not just Denzel and Marlene, but to Luneth and Arc.

"A good friend of mine grew these," Cloud explained, kneeling down by the water's edge to look out at the flowers beyond. "She had a real talent for finding something special in such a dump of a place. Of course, that also applied to people, myself included," he wryly added. Luneth and Arc failed to hold in a snicker.

Maybe a new life would be better. Maybe it would be worse. But Cloud wasn't going to trade small moments like that for anything else.

Like Luneth was afraid of the unknown, he was afraid of losing what little he had left in a world that stolen so much from him.

((((()))))

"Garland, you're the last to leave for the other worlds. Take out this trash and find the warriors in Jecht's world."

Garland cast a sneer at the two men lying broken on the floor before Chaos's feet. "Trash indeed. Foolish trash that died in vain."

Chaos laughed, feeling a wave of discord come from Kuja's brother. He must figured have something out, the dear idiot. Chaos could hardly wait for the other's turmoil to give him more power. Ultimecia and Sephiroth were having a great time erasing Rinoa's memories ever so little to make her forget Squall, going against her wish from before she entered Dissidia.

Yes… it was all going according to plan. Cosmos had already failed in denting his powers with her broken dolls of warriors.

"Splitting yourself into their crystals won't help at all, dearest Cosmos."

It was almost time for this cycle to end.


End file.
